


Remember the Past

by DefyingPopularity



Category: Love Never Dies - Lloyd Webber, Phantom of the Opera - Lloyd Webber
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-03
Updated: 2013-08-03
Packaged: 2017-12-22 07:43:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 42
Words: 92,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/910654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DefyingPopularity/pseuds/DefyingPopularity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story picks up where 'Visions of the Past' left off. If you haven't read that yet, I suggest reading it before reading this story. </p>
<p>Ten years after a fateful Christmas Eve, Sophia Day, who is now a successful singer and opera star returns to New York. She is preparing to sign a contract to perform at a new theme park on Coney Island called Mr. Y's Phantasma. Fate swoops in, reuniting her with Erik Destler, her former music teacher and once lover, who is now the owner of Phantasma. Soon after the reunion, she begins to have dreams again, seeing herself as Christine Daae in the past and her reunion with the Phantom of the Opera. As the dreams continue, Sophia's struggles resumes, as well as some new struggles when she discovers that a dark secret that she meant to bury was never buried at all. Dreams and modern day occurrences. Based on ALW's Love Never Dies (a mix of the original London production and the Australian production). Erik/Christine; Erik/OC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> As I said, this story picks up where 'Visions of the Past' left off. Here is a link to the story if you haven't read it yet.  
> You can find it here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/910001/chapters/1762566
> 
> Enjoy! ~DP
> 
> *Story started on March 25, 2012 and completed on July 8, 2013.*

_Prologue_

_Christmas Eve, 2007_

**Sophia's POV**

I stood in the shower, letting the water run over me as I breathed a nervous sigh, trying to shake the nerves out of my system as I washed my body, letting the soap run off of me. I quickly washed the rest of it off, shutting the water off and stepping out of the shower carefully, drying off. These four months in New York passed quickly; I had found closure with what had occurred over six months ago and I was moving on. I had turned eighteen after I arrived in New York, I was excelling in my studies, had a lavish apartment with a great roommate only a few blocks from Julliard, and it was Christmas. Who wouldn't be excited? I would be excited if my nerves weren't getting the better of me at the moment.

Christmas time in New York was wonderful. Snow was falling, there was a certain bustle in the air of people shopping at Bergdorf's and Barney's, and I was getting ready to see someone that I hadn't seen since August. I wrapped my towel around my body, and then repeated the process for my long, brown, curly hair, wiping the mirror off. I gazed at myself, seeing how nervous I was. I felt my palms starting to sweat as I groaned, wiping them on my towel. I didn't know what was worse; seeing someone that I hadn't seen in four months, or knowing that we were going to the Met to see  _La Boheme_. I ran out of the bathroom, seeing that I was running late as I glanced at my clock, heading into my walk-in closet to find the best dress that I had.

I heard my roommate come into my room, laughing at me and at the fact that, in her opinion, I was getting nervous over nothing. "You know, I can hear you laughing out there," I yelled from the closet, still rummaging through my dresses. "This isn't funny, Emma. He's very important to me!"

Emma was a fun person. We met at Julliard and she pretty much took me under her wing when I came to New York. She was the same height as me, just a little over five feet tall, with long blond hair and green eyes. She was a dancer, and did some singing as well, but you could tell that she was more of a dancer. She had the petite build of one, and from what I heard at Julliard, she was a legacy. Her mother was a dancer and married up, and when the husband died, she inherited everything and ended up being one of the richest women in Manhattan. We were originally roommates at Julliard in the dorms, and I was nervous about rooming with someone who was from the Upper West Side when I didn't even have any connections in the city. However, those worries were soon doused when she befriended me. Soon, we became sick of living in the dorms, and we found an apartment that we could split the rent on, moving in within the same month. She chuckled softly as she sat down on my bed, pulling on her boots as she got ready to go to her mother's house for their annual society Christmas party.

"I just don't understand why you're so nervous, Sophie," she replied as she stood up. I found a long formal that I could wear, coming back out into my room, laying it on my bed as I took my hair down from the towel and began to fix it at my vanity. "He was only your teacher. How can you be so nervous because your teacher is coming to visit you on Christmas Eve?"

"He's not just my teacher; he's  _the_  teacher! He's the person who taught me everything I know about singing! So forgive me for being a nervous wreck."

"You're acting like you're going on a first date, so calm your shit," she said, coming over and helping me with my hair. "He's going to enjoy seeing you, and I know you're going to enjoy seeing  _La Boheme_. You just need to calm down and enjoy yourself."

"It's not a date," I replied softly. "We just…we haven't seen each other since I left home in August. He was really good to me; I could go to him with any problem that I had, and he helped me through a lot of my problems." I glanced down at my ring, smiling softly at the thought of that day when I last saw him. I looked up at my mirror again, smiling as I saw what Emma had done to my hair. "Thanks. It looks great."

"Good. Now you're on your own for your make-up, but I will help you put that dress on before I go," she said, going over to my bed to get it. I stood up, finding the proper undergarments and slipping them on with my back to my roommate, even though her back was turned towards me. "Are you sure you don't want me to come home tonight? I can always go to my Mom's tomorrow to open my gifts. I'd hate to think of you alone on Christmas."

"I won't be alone," I said as I walked over to her, getting the gown from her and stepping into it and slipping it on, pulling the straps over my shoulders. "I'll have Erik, even if I'll only have him for the duration of the performance." I felt the gown zip up and I looked myself over in the mirror. The gown was beautiful; a deep purple with only a few tasteful sequin accents and a small train. It was perfect for the Met tonight. I grabbed the towel that I had used to dry my hair, wiping my hands again as Emma peeked around from behind me, grinning from ear to ear.

"I don't think you need make-up," she said, handing me her black shawl to see how that would look with the dress. "I think you look beautiful."

"Maybe a little wouldn't hurt," I said, placing the shawl over my chair as I heard a knock at the door. I groaned again, looking at Emma, my eyes begging for her help. She rolled her eyes, laughing softly.

"Okay, I'll get the door," she said, leaving my room and shutting the French doors behind her. I sat down at my vanity, taking a couple of deep breaths as I put just a small amount of make-up on. I heard the door open and shut, listening to the muffled voices that were only a few feet from my door. I put down my make-up brush, sighing softly, looking at my reflection in the mirror.

 _I need to calm down_ , I thought as I stared at myself.  _What would Christine think? I'm a nervous wreck. Fuck, I'm more nervous than she was with Don Juan._

I took another deep breath, putting the final touches on my make-up as I stood up, slipping on my heels, taking the shawl and wrapping it around my arms, walking to my doors and slowly opening them. The living area of our apartment was huge, complete with a kitchen and enough room to fit two couches as well as a computer desk. My gaze traveled to Emma, who was leaning on the island, talking to a tall man who was dressed in a tuxedo, wearing a long black trench coat. I couldn't hide the wide smile that had begun to play across my lips, staring at him as he stood casually, listening to Emma talk about school and what she did. Her gaze turned to me and she smiled. "And there's your lovely lady now, Erik," she said, still looking at me. I watched as he turned, my breath seeming to leave my body.

He looked the same as when I last saw him in August, minus the tan. Tall and handsome as ever, even with the scars from his birth defect on the right side of his face. His blue eyes shimmered when he saw me, and he couldn't hide a smile either as he gazed at me. He slowly made his way to me, his eyes never leaving mine as he stood only inches away from me. He took my hand, slowly lifting it to his lips, kissing the top of softly. I secretly melted at his lips and his hand holding mine once more, smiling up at him. Emma took the hint, gathering her things. "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, Sophie," she said, opening and closing the door, her footsteps fading down the hallway. I didn't have a chance to say goodbye, but I didn't care. I was too engrossed in his eyes once more.

"You look amazing," he said softly, still holding my hand as he looked down at me. "Are you ready?"

"Uh…uh-huh," I replied, making sure the shawl was wrapped around my arms again as I grabbed my purse. "I'm really excited to see  _La Boheme_. I've been waiting to see it for weeks."

"It's one of my favorites," he said as he opened the door, letting me step out first before he followed, making sure the door was locked. "I'm just happy that you agreed to go with me."

"I've wanted to see you for a while, but you told me to concentrate on my studies."

He chuckled softly, holding the door for me as I stepped outside after we got off of the elevator, wrapping the shawl around me more. It had just begun to snow, and the busy Christmas Eve bustle of Manhattan was ringing loudly in our ears. He hailed us cab, helping me inside and telling the cabbie where to go after he got in and shut the door. "So tell me, how is everything?"

"Really good, Erik. I'm so happy here. School is going well, and my voice instructors have told me that I have the makings to be an opera star if I keep working hard with my lessons and studying."

"You may have to sing me a little tidbit later. It's been so long since I've heard your voice."

I shuddered lightly at the memories floating in my mind. The memories of us in his basement back at home, singing the song that he had written with him. I looked up at him, smiling still. "I would love to. Emma won't be coming home tonight; she's going to her mom's for Christmas."

He nodded as the cab stopped in front of the Met. Erik got out first, and then offered his hand to me. I placed my hand in his as I got out of the cab, waiting while he paid the cabbie. He turned to me once more, offering me his arm. I gladly took it as he escorted me inside. "I really do hope you enjoy this, Sophie," he said, getting a program as we walked upstairs to the balcony boxes. "You're the only person I could get something for Christmas."

"As far as I'm concerned, Erik, I got my Christmas present before this," I said as I sat down, the lights beginning to dim.

"And what's that?'

"I got to be with you."

Three hours and countless used tissues later, the opera was over and we stood to leave. I was thankful to have waterproof mascara, even if the rest of my make-up was gone. I wrapped my shawl around me, taking Erik's arm once more as we walked out of our box and down the stairs, listening to the murmurs of those around us, commenting on the performance. Erik looked at me before he spoke, holding the door open for me. "Did you mean what you said earlier," he asked, putting his arm around me as we walked down the steps of the Met, being cautious of the possible slick spots from the snow that had fallen during the opera.

"What do you mean," I asked, shivering lightly in the cold. He noticed the shiver, stopping to shrug his coat off, putting it around me. He stepped in front me, looking down into my eyes and he cupped my chin in his hand gently. I felt myself drowning in his, breathing slowly and deeply as he asked the question again.

"Did you mean what you said earlier? About getting to be with as your Christmas present? You were really, truly happy to see me tonight?"

"Yes, Erik. Even if we didn't get to go to the opera, I would have been happy just to be with you."

He leaned down, kissing my lips softly. I let out a low, content sigh, kissing him back very gently. He slowly pulled back.

"I had another surprise for you," he said, stepping out of the way, my gaze falling upon a black, stretch limousine, the driver waiting for us with the door open. "I figured we could drive around Broadway and Times Square before I took you home."

I smiled, taking his hand. "I'd love that."

He smiled, walking me down to the limo, allowing me to get inside first. As I got comfortable, I noticed there was a bottle of sparkling grape juice chilling in a bucket of ice, as well as some chocolate covered strawberries and a beautiful bouquet of white roses. I blushed, looking at my hands. Even though I didn't think this was a date, a date was sure what this was turning out to be. Erik climbed in next to me and the driver shut the door, going around and getting into the driver's side. I felt the limo shift into gear and begin to move as I looked at Erik. I hadn't even held his hand since the last few minutes of the opera, but I felt a familiar heat burning inside of me, and I knew that there was no point in fighting it, but I also knew that if I let it grow and I made a move, I probably wouldn't be able to stop myself. I wondered if Erik felt the same way. He looked at me, and I looked at him, neither one of us saying a word. Our eyes were saying it all.

Screw the strawberries and the sparkling grape juice. This was going to happen, and we both knew it.

He pressed a button to roll up the window in between us and the driver. As soon as the glass was up, he pulled me into his lap, kissing me fiercely. I moaned softly against his lips as I pulled up the skirt of my dress so I could straddle his lap better, kissing him back as I moved both of my hands to his face. He kissed me again, his lips parted and his tongue slowly brushing against my lips. I opened my mouth only a little, just enough to give him entry into my mouth. We kissed again, his tongue gently massaging mine as he pulled back. I panted softly as his lips moved to my neck, kissing, sucking, and nibbling softly. I melted against him, moaning softly as I moved my hair out of the way, giving him more access. His lips concentrated on the nape of my neck; he knew that was my weakest spot from before. I moaned again, only slightly louder than before, but it was enough for him to lightly press his finger to my lips, a sign for me to try and be quiet. How could I be quiet when every thought I had about him was beginning to come true?

He kissed my lips again, his hand on my neck as he held me close to him. "I have to ask you this, Sophie, before we move on."

"Ask me anything," I breathed, my whole body aching for his kisses, his touch, everything about him.

"Are you sure you want this to happen? Are you ready for it?"

"Yes," I said honestly, looking down at him. "Please, Erik. I want to be with you, fully. Please."

He only nodded, picking up the phone that was in the back, telling the driver to take us back to my apartment. The driver replied with a muffled 'yes, sir' and turned a corner to go back a different way. He turned his attention back to me, kissing me once more as he slid his coat off of my shoulders as I kissed him back. This time, I moved my lips down to his neck, kissing and suckling softly. He took a sharp intake of breath, his hands gripping on to my dress as he moved me back to where I was originally sitting, climbing on top of me. I gasped quietly as I felt the bulge in his pants, which only made me ache for him more. We felt the limo come to a stop, hearing the gear shift into park and the driver getting out. Erik pulled the skirt of my dress down, helping me to sit up as he the driver opened the door. I grabbed the flowers and my shawl, getting out of limo with my keys out of my purse, going to open the door as Erik settled his account with the limo driver. He quickly followed me in, both of us trying to be as calm as we could be as we stepped into the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors closed, I kissed him, my hands on the jacket of his tuxedo as he kissed me back, his hand tangled within my hair. The elevator stopped and the doors opened to the floor that my apartment was on, walking down the hall. I unlocked the door and let him inside, shutting and locking it.

I felt his arms wrap around me in the darkness as he kissed me again, lifting me into his arms and carrying me into my room, kicking the door shut as he held the kiss. I kissed him back, feeling my feet hit the ground slowly as I moved my hands to slip his jacket off, unbuttoning the shirt underneath. I felt my gown growing looser, hearing the light sound of the zipper unzipping. I slowly deepened the kiss as I worked off the tie and his shirt, tossing them to the floor as his tongue entered my mouth once more, massaging mine with his. He pulled back for air, and then moved his lips down to my skin as he slowly moved the straps of the gown down, letting the rest of it fall to the floor. I felt the cool air against my skin, which didn't last long as I felt him pull me against him, his warm sculpted chest against mine. Following my instincts, I moved my hands down his chest and to his pants, my hand lightly skimming over the bulge that was begging to be released. He let out a low growl, gently throwing me onto my bed. I gasped playfully as I kicked my heels off as he quickly moved his body over mine, pinning me to the bed. My breaths began to quicken as his hands roamed over my curves and my stomach, slowly finding their way to my back and the snaps of my strapless bra. He slowly unsnapped it, pulling it away and gazing down at my body. He moved his hand over my chest, which I gasped and instinctively arched. He lowered his head and took one of my breasts into his mouth, suckling and tugging gently.

I gasped and moaned, my body writhing beneath him as I worked my hands to get his pants unbuttoned, which I found hard to do as I was still pinned down. His mouth switched sides and I moaned more, my hands moving to his back and clawing gently. His hands roamed my sides once more, slowly traveling down to massage my core. I heard a low groan escape his lips as he felt the heat and how moist I was, pulling away to remove my panties. I sat up, and worked on his pants, unbuttoning and unzipping them quickly, slowly slipping my hand inside. It was only to feel him, to see what it actually felt like. The reaction from him was something I didn't expect. He gasped, moving to lie down on the bed, his eyes closed. I froze, thinking that I had hurt him, until he looked up at me, his eyes begging for me to keep going. I slowly moved my hand and he groaned softly, his hands gripping the sheets. I panted softly, the anticipation growing more and more inside of me, wanting to feel him inside of me. I slowly removed my hand and I lay down beside him, kissing his lips gently. He worked off his pants, rolling me onto my back and slowly opening my legs. He entered me slowly, and my body welcomed him, my legs wrapping around his waist and my arms around his neck.

At first, he didn't move, letting my body get used to him before he began. He moved slowly and my reaction was immediate. My head fell back upon my pillows, quiet moans leaving my lips as his hands moved to mine, pinning them above my head. He groaned lightly, keeping the gentle pace as he gazed into my eyes, kissing my lips softly. Waves of ecstasy began to rush over me as my hips began to move in sync with his, another low moan leaving my lips. I felt Erik's smile against my lips and his movements began to quicken. It wasn't long after that I had my first climax, my hands clutching his as my whole body reacted. He smiled, his movements ceasing only for a moment as he moved his lips down to kiss my neck. Then he resumed, holding me close to him as pleasure rushed over me more and more, my walls contracting and tightening to accompany him. I came over and over, and the movements seemed endless. I had completely lost all sense of time. Suddenly, he stopped, looking down at me. He grabbed hold of my hips and rolled, and I released a loud moan. I was now on top of him and he was on his back, holding my hips and looking up at me. My body took over, my hips slowly moving over him as I placed my hands on his chest for balance. He guided my hips with hands, moving me over him faster and faster. Below me, I felt his body become rigid and stiff and I knew that he was on the verge of release. I took over the movements as my body felt close to another release as well as Erik's hands fell beside him, gripping the sheets. I whimpered as my body began to tremble and with one final thrust, we both climaxed. I felt him filling me up and my walls squeezing around him.

We panted heavily as I leaned down, slowly rolling off of him and lying beside him. I closed my eyes, feeling tired. I felt the blankets being pulled back and my body going beneath them. Sleep seemed inevitable, especially when I felt his arms wrap around me. I released a content sigh, drifting off into a deep sleep.

The sun shined through my window the next morning and I slowly opened my eyes, smiling and stretching within my bed, turning to the other side. I blinked, rubbing my eyes, seeing that the opposite side of my bed was empty. I slowly sat up, looking around room. All I saw was my flowers in a vase on my bedside table. I knew at that moment, he was gone. I looked down at myself, wondering how I could've let that happen. He had gotten what he wanted and he was gone. I slowly stood up, the sheets still wrapped around me as I looked out the window. I felt used, ugly, bruised, and worst of all, heartbroken. This was only meant to be a one-night stand for him, and for me, I was going to swear my love to him.

_Merry Christmas, Sophia. Just wish for a better year next year._

**Erik's POV**

_Nine months later…_

I stood in the waiting room, going back and forth between pacing and watching the mindless chatter on the television. It had been almost twelve hours since I was called to tell me that my baby was on the way, and I had been waiting ever since. I sat down in the chair, my head in my hands, thinking that something had gone wrong with the birth mother or the child all together. No, I can't think like that. Everything's going to be fine. I looked outside at the summer sky, wondering how much longer I was going to have to wait. I checked my watch again, seeing that it was 9:30pm. I stood up, pacing again, becoming anxious and angrier with each passing moment. What was going on? Why couldn't I see my child? Suddenly, there was a knock. I stopped pacing, looking up at the door. Two nurses walked in, one of them carrying a small bundle wrapped in a pink blanket. Pride and joy swelled up inside of me as I swallowed a hard lump in my throat. The nurses stepped in fully, the nursing carrying the bundle showing it to me. It was a gorgeous baby girl with a head full of dark hair just as mine was.

"Congratulations, Mr. Destler," the nurse said as she slowly handed me the small baby. I cradled her in my arms, smiling softly as tears formed in my eyes I looked down at my daughter. "It's a girl."

I just nodded, and then looked up at the nurse. "Does the mother know anything about the child?"

"No. She didn't even want to see her."

"Does she know that I'm here?"

"No, and we kept it that way. We'll do a DNA test to be sure that you are the father of the baby before we can release her to you."

"I understand."

"She still needs a name."

I looked up at the nurse, then back down at my daughter. I could only think of one name. In my opinion, it was the most beautiful name in the world.

"Christine."

"I'm sorry?"

"Christine. Her name shall be Christine Sophia Destler."


	2. Ten Years Later

_Paris_

_Ten years later…_

**Sophia's POV**

I stood on the pier, watching as the people parted their way for me to come through. I looked around at the glistening and shimmering lights and the people of this place. Magicians, clowns, little people, ring masters…they all came to greet me. I looked down at myself, seeing myself in a vibrant red Victorian gown, but this was the present time…wasn't it? I looked at a funhouse mirror, making sure that it was actually me and not Christine. My long brown hair was down, and I did look gorgeous. And I looked like I should look. A young twenty-seven year old, but why was I in this gown? This just didn't seem right. Suddenly, they pulled me into their waltz, singing the words no louder than a whisper.

_Coney Isle_

_Glistening and glimmering_

_Rising frights_

_Drenched with light_

_See its smile_

_Beckoning and shimmering_

_All agleam_

_Like a dream_

_Every fantasy set free_

_Sudden rising by the sea_

_Wonders and astonishments_

_For your delectation_

_Phantoms and automatons_

_For your fascination_

_Marvels undreamt since the dawn of creation…_

As I turned away from them, I found myself in front of him. He wasn't wearing his mask and was dressed in a black Victorian suit with a long coat, just like the Phantom had been at one time, and I knew that this was just me and him, in the company of the freaks of Coney Island. As I tried to run away with him to leave the park, he took me into the stance and began to waltz with me. I quickly grabbed the skirt of my dress, moving the small wristband around my wrist so I wouldn't step on the train as the freaks stood around us, their voices resuming again, louder and more beckoning than before.

_Coney Isle_

_Miracle of miracle_

_See their sounds_

_Whirling 'round_

_Mile by mile_

_Loud and lewd and lyrical_

_Thrill on thrill_

_Never still_

_Welcome one and welcome all_

_Welcome to the monster's ball_

_Welcome to the, welcome to the, welcome to the…_

Suddenly, they all erupted in this cheer, running about the island, drawing more and more people in. He continued to the hold the stance, whirling me around the pier.

"Erik, please, let's get out of here," I pleaded as he moved more down the dock. The waltz continued and it seemed like he couldn't hear me. The lights glistened and shimmered on the water below us, the playful screams of children nearby as I grew more and more dizzy and we went around and around, my head tilting back. Suddenly, he stopped, turning me to face a child. It was a little girl, the same little girl that I had seen before countless times in this occurring, demented dream. He held me against his chest, his arms wrapped around me and not letting go. Suddenly there was a bright flash of light and I shielded my eyes for a brief moment, then opened them again to gaze at a carousel, the children riding on it dressed in costumes. The freaks sang the song once more, this time louder than ever. Erik leaned down, whispering in my ear.

"Joining us in inevitable, Sophie," he said in a cold hard tone, forcing me to the look down at the girl once again. "Just like avoiding your past is futile."

I gasped as I felt the weight of my body shift and I fell off of the pier, my screams being drowned out by the singing and beckoning calls of the freaks.

I gasped and moved around as I shot straight up out of my bed, looking around my room, hearing the familiar of buzzing of my alarm clock. Once I realized that I was out of the dream, I turned off my alarm clock and sighed heavily, holding my head in my hands. That dream had been plaguing me for years. Ten long years I had that dream and it was the same every time; for some reason, I always fell off of the pier after Erik spoke those cold, harsh words. There was a familiar knock on my bedroom door and it opened, revealing the person on the other side.

Drake had aged well for being twenty-eight, but he was battling demons of his own. Just as I had promised so many years ago, I hired him as my manager and we split the profits of my concerts and performances in the operas that I signed with, 70-30. However, that 30% that I was paying him was more than enough to keep up his drug supply. He carried in a tray that had my usual light breakfast on it, with a glass of orange juice and a cup of coffee. As I looked up at him, he could tell that I had had the dream again. He sighed softly, shaking his head.

"I thought we were past this," he said softly, but I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was annoyed. I didn't blame him; I would be annoyed too. However, this was a different type of annoyance. This was an annoyance of not having his fix. I watched him as he set the tray down beside my bed, his hands shaky as he tried to hide them from me, crossing his arms, looking down at me. "Have you been taking the sleeping pills like the doctor told you to?"

"I told you, Drake. I can't take the sleeping pills. If I take them, I don't function the next day, and when I'm singing in  _La Boheme_ , I need to function."

"Well, your last performance as Mimi is tonight, so you are going to be taking them tonight after your performance, and you're resting tomorrow."

I rolled my eyes. "You're not my father."

He moved swiftly, gripping my chin tightly in his hand as he turned my head to face him, his hard eyes staring down into mine. He had definitely changed since high school; this wasn't the same Drake that I used to love. This was a different Drake; a more harsh and tendency to be violent Drake. The lack of drug use made him nervous; you could tell with the twitch that he had sometimes. He would sometimes grip me a little too hard on the arm, but he had never hit me. At least, not yet. I swallowed softly as he spoke his next words slowly and carefully. "I may not be your father, but you did hire me as your manager. And as your manager, I manage you. Now, eat your breakfast and go about your daily routine before you go to the theater tonight." He released my chin and I groaned lightly, gently massaging my jaw. "You know where I'll be if you need me."

I watched him leave the room, shutting the door behind him. I wondered how this had come to be. Drake on drugs was not a pretty sight, and his habit was really beginning to take him over. Even though I kept in touch with him throughout college, he never told me about how much he was partying and what he was actually doing where he was. I picked up my plate and had begun to eat, turning on the television to watch the news. I rolled my eyes as I saw my picture on the screen, which was followed by video of me and the cast of  _La Boheme_. Even though I didn't speak a lot of French, the gist of the news report was how it was my last night and there was going to be a gala after the performance. I let out a breath, realizing that I would probably have to find a gown to wear after the show so I would be able to dress accordingly for the gala. I finished my breakfast and got up, and following the rest of my daily schedule. I couldn't help but think about the dream. Why Coney Island? What was so significant about that place for me? I had never been there before in my life, not even when I lived in New York. And what was up with that little girl that I saw in my dreams every single time? Even though I was forced to look at her, I could never remember any of her features. I absentmindedly touched my stomach, and then shook my head, resuming my exercises so I could get ready to go to the theater.

_Coney Island_

_New York_

**Erik's POV**

I walked around the park, my hands behind my back as I observed everyone getting everything ready for opening day. I owned one of the most successful parts of Coney Island, and I properly named it Phantasma for the Phantom. I had everything there that anyone could think of. Tumblers, acrobats, ring masters, little people, clowns, and the list went on. The carnies were busy with getting the games ready as the acts were busy finding their rooms and where they would be performing. The concert hall was one of my greatest accomplishments in my life.

Next to her…

My mind found itself thinking of her again as I stopped to look out at the ocean, my hands going into my pockets. I knew what she was doing, and how well she was doing. I had kept track of her over these long years. She didn't try to find me, and I didn't go looking for her, even though my heart ached for her. On that fateful night ten years ago, I left her to be out of her way. Even though I loved her, I couldn't stand the thought of standing in the way of the career that lied ahead of her. I thought of her as Mimi, performing in  _La Boheme_  in Paris as I heard the familiar running footsteps behind me. I quickly turned and my little girl jumped up into my arms to greet me as she arrived here from school. I wrapped my arms around her tightly, hugging and kissing her cheek, my hand in her long brown curly locks as I put her down. She looked up at me with a smile, the same familiar smile that her mother had when I last saw her. She looked exactly like her mother, with the exception of her eyes, which were mine. She took my hand and we began to walk down the pier, heading into the park.

"Did you enjoy your last day of school, Christine," I asked her as she skipped over the cracks of the dock, turning and grinning up at me with her reply.

"I did, and I cannot wait to help you this summer. Please tell me that I can help you with your top secret project. Please, please, please!"

I laughed, pushing open the gate to our summer home which is right inside the park, letting her go in first. "We'll see how your report card is first, young lady, and then we will talk about helping me with my top secret project."

"You always drive up a hard bargain. Can I hang out with Fleck, Squelch, and Gangle tonight? Please?"

I shook my head, continuing to walk up the sidewalk with her. "Christine, they're busy getting ready for opening day tomorrow." I sighed a little when she pouted, looking down at her feet. "I'll tell you what. After your mother goes to bed tonight, you can come with me to my office and I'll make sure that Fleck, Squelch, and Gangle are there. Okay?"

She beamed and hugged me as my wife came out of the house, her arms crossed as she looked at us. I smiled softly at her as Christine let me go and ran past her, running up to her room. She only looked at me, her long blond hair pulled back as she leaned against one of the beams of the porch, then she smiled. She was pretty when she smiled. She had unique traits, but she was nothing like Sophie. The only reason why I was with her was out of convenience, and because I owed her mother money. She stepped down off of the porch, coming up to me slowly.

"You know that I don't like her hanging out with those three," she said softly, her arms still crossed as I stood there, watching her. "She needs sleep more than she needs to be with you."

I stared her down. I towered over her as she looked up at me. I sensed the fear that she had; she didn't like standing up to me. She knew that she wasn't good at it, and she knew that I would crush her if and when she did try to stand up to me. I took a deep breath, speaking quietly so we wouldn't start a fight. "Emma, she's my daughter. She wants to be with me. Who am I to deny her, and who are you to try and deny her as well?"

"I'm sorry, I just feel that…well, it's not important. We have the whole month of August to get her back on a normal schedule, I suppose. Just…just keep an eye on her, okay?"

"I'm just happy that you're finally warming up to her just as she's warming up to you," I said, kissing her forehead. "I love you, Em. I have to head back. Keep an eye on her, okay?"

She nodded, and as I turned to head back to the park, she asked me the one question that she always asks me, this time starting a whole day before opening day. "Are you going to watch the performances?"

"I'll try."

My reply was always the same. I never wanted to see her perform. She was nothing like Sophie. I headed back to my office at the park, my head low as my mind traveled to her again, wishing I could hear her voice again, wondering how her last performance of  _La Boheme_  went. I sighed heavily, my eyes traveling back to the house, before I went into the doorway that led into my office. She was not Sophie.

There would be nobody like Sophie.


	3. Till I Hear You Sing

_Paris  
_ _Late evening_

**Sophia's POV  
** The performance was done and I was walking around the gala, meeting the families of my costars and talking to some of the members of the creative team. Most of their words were the same; they were sad to see me go. Some of them didn't want me to go. I even got a marriage proposal from a fan just so I would stay in Paris, which I declined but gave him a kiss on the cheek. As I walked away from him, Drake caught me by the arm, squeezing hard. He still hadn't gotten his fix, and along with becoming more anxious and nervy throughout the party, he was also becoming more violent. My gaze stayed forward, my face not changing from a small smile as to not give any sign that anything was wrong. I glanced up at him quickly, and then turned back to the guests, sighing a little.

"So what did I do wrong this time," I asked him quietly as my arm began to burn, trying not to yell out in pain.

"You've haven't been by my side all night. I should be doing my job and pushing you forward so you can get another contract somewhere. Instead, you're walking around talking to your fans and former cast members. Get over it; the show is done and you're not going to be coming back here."

I pulled my arm away, turning to him, the anger present in my voice, even though I spoke calmly. "If you want to push me forward, then put a bid out on the website. Get me back to the states, preferably New York. I'm sick of being over here; I want to go back where I belong."

"Fuck you! I'm not going back to New York!"

"Oh, yes you are! And if you don't do what I ask, you're fired, and I'll go back to New York alone!"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Watch me!" I grabbed the skirt of my gown and turned on my heel, running through the crowd of people and getting to the stage door, stepping outside and leaving the gala. My limo was there waiting for me and I told him where to go in French. He could tell that I was mad and I was ready to get out of there. He opened the door and allowed me to get inside, quickly shutting it and getting in the driver's side, driving away. I sighed heavily, taking my hair down and letting it fall naturally. I kept the length all of these years; I couldn't stand the thought of cutting it. I ran my fingers through it before grabbing a bottle of water from the mini fridge. I soon realized that I had left all of my things there at the theater; my purse, my cell phone, and my other clothes that I had brought with me. I glanced back towards the theater, deciding against going back and fighting through the crowd to get to my dressing room. I began to reflect on how I had just acted. I really did seem like I was a diva, especially with the way that I had stormed out. I felt the limo slow down and eventually stop, the gears shifting to park and the driver's door opening. I took a deep breath, looking down at my arm. I had already begun to bruise from where he grabbed me. I placed my hand over it to hide it from my driver, getting out and going into the hotel.

I slipped off my heels as soon as I got inside, heading to the elevator and pressing the up button. As I waited, I felt the eyes of the desk clerk on me, but he didn't say a word. Not even a 'Good evening, Miss Day.' The elevator doors opened and I stepped inside, quickly pressing the button for the doors to close after I pressed the button for my floor. I leaned against the wall of the elevator, looking down at my now bare feet, breathing deeply. I would have given anything to be able to run to Erik's house right now, just as I had done those many years ago when I was so young. I raised my left hand to look at a familiar piece of jewelry that I had since I had left home for Julliard ten years ago. The ring of Christine Daae. I never took the ring off. I always wore it through every performance and every concert. It gave me some comfort to know I had it and to know who gave it to me. The elevator dinged, and the doors opened once more, putting me at the penthouse suite, which was where I had lived for the last few years. Remembering once more that I had left my purse behind at the theater which had my hotel room key in it, I was happy to see that a bellboy was there with a master key. He let me in, not asking any questions.

The first thing that I wanted to do when I got into my room was get this gown off. I wanted to be in some comfortable clothes for once. I found my jeans and a nice blouse, quickly pulling the gown off and putting those clothes on. After I emerged once more in the living area of our suite, I got on my laptop and went into my web design program to post a new blog. I quickly wrote up a quick piece to update my fans and followers what I was up to.

" _Subject: I'm ready to come back to the States_

_Well, my last performance in La Boheme was tonight, and I'm still feeling pretty euphoric from it. However, as I look out at the Paris skyline, I think about how much I miss my city of New York where I got my start. I feel at this time that I'm ready to come back to the US, even if I don't perform in any shows or concerts. I would be happy to just relax and enjoy some time to myself or see some old friends at the Met. I'll keep you guys updated on my decision, but for now, I'm signing off to enjoy some wine and sit out on the balcony."_

I saved it and updated my website with the post, leaving the laptop open as I wandered outside to the balcony after I got my glass of wine. I placed my hands along the railing, looking out at the night sky of Paris. It was a beautiful city, even when it was all lit up at night. But…there was something missing. He was missing. Even though Paris had been good to me throughout these last few years, without him, it meant nothing. Especially when Drake's drug problem was becoming more apparent and he was beginning to use more and more. I breathed deeply, smiling at the scent of the water and the night air of Paris. In the distance, I could see the old Paris Opera House, or the Opera Populaire as what it had been formally called so many years ago, my mind traveling back to that fateful day and the first dreams that I had. Those dreams were long gone now, only distant memories that remained in my mind. I hummed softly, looking out towards the city once more. As I stood outside, I began to sing softly. As I sang, I thought of him more and more, and I began to wonder…was he thinking about me?

_Coney Island  
_ _Early evening_

**Erik's POV  
** I sat at my piano in my top floor office, scribbling some notes down on some manuscript paper as Christine lay on the couch nearby, nearly asleep because the office was so quiet. I placed my hands on the keys, playing quietly through the song that I had written, cringing. I stopped playing immediately and took the paper, crumpling it up and throwing it away. Frustrated, I stood up from my piano and went out to the balcony, getting some air. I loved the smell of the sea. It reminded me of when I was sailing when I was away ten years ago. It calmed me, but at the same time, with the scent of the sea carried the scent of Sophia. I placed my hands of the railing, turning back to shut the doors with my foot, taking a deep breath.

**Ten long years, living a mere façade of life…**

_Ten long years, wasting my time on smoke and noise_

**In my mind, I hear melodies pure and unearthly**

_But I find I can't give them a voice_

_**Without you…** _

**My Sophie…**

_My Erik…_

_**Lost and gone  
** _ _**Lost and gone…** _

_The day starts, the day ends_  
 _Time goes by_  
 _Night steals in, pacing the floor_  
 _The moments creep_  
 _Yet I can't bear to sleep  
_ _Till I hear you sing…_

**And weeks pass**  
 **And months pass**  
 **Seasons fly**  
 **Still you don't walk through the door**  
 **And in a haze, I count the silent days**  
 **Till I hear you sing once more**  
 **And sometimes at nighttime  
** **I dream that you are there**

_But I wake_  
 _Holding nothing but the empty air_  
 _And years come and years go  
_ _Time runs dry_

**Still I ache down to the core  
** **My broken soul can't be alive and whole**

__**Till I hear you sing once more**  
 __**And music, your music**  
 __**It teases at my ear**  
 __**I turn and it fades away**  
 __**And you're not here**  
 __**Let hopes pass, let dreams pass**  
 __**Let them die**  
 __**Without you, what are they for**  
 _**I always feel no more than halfway real  
** _ __**Till I hear you sing once more!**

I breathed deeply, feeling better now that I had gotten that out of my system. I looked back at Christine, who was now asleep. I smiled a little. My singing always lulled her to sleep, even on those sleepless nights when she refused to go to bed. I stayed outside for a while, watching the sun set and the island begin to slowly light up. When people saw that the lights were on at the park, they knew that opening day was almost here. I heard the office door open from the inside, but I didn't go back in. I was enjoying the time alone out on the balcony.

The balcony doors opened to reveal a little woman, all dressed in black, her platinum blond hair short and spiked up in the back. This was Fleck, one of my confidants for years, along with her companions Squelch and Gangle. As Fleck stepped out on the balcony, she was grinning from ear to ear, carrying the office's laptop with her. As I looked at her and saw she was smiling, I gave her a puzzled look before I spoke.

"Fleck, what is it? What's going on?"

"You have got to see this," she said, holding the laptop with one hand and dragging me by my pant leg with the other hand. She made sure that I sat down before she gave me the laptop. "She wants to come back, Master. She wants to come back to New York."

I looked at her with an eyebrow raised, then turned my attention to the webpage that she had pulled up. It was Sophia's website, and it had a new blog post. I clicked on the link and read through the blog post slowly, a smile beginning to slowly creep across my lips. I read it over and over, and then looked at my companions, sitting back in my office chair. The mere thought of her just being in the same state as I was overwhelming, and yet thrilling at the same time. I put my hands behind my held, looking up at the ceiling, trying to figure out a plan to get her to Coney. I would give anything to just see her again, even if it was only for a moment. Fleck must have seen my face, sensing that I was trying to think.

"If I may, Master," she said as she stepped forward, her hands behind her back as she spoke, "it may benefit you to email her and ask her to come to Coney. Don't suggest a deal yet, but just meet with her and see where things go."

I looked at her, moving my hands to my lap and sitting up in the chair. I smiled, placing my hand on her shoulder. "You always know what to say, Fleck. What would I do without you? Without any of you?"

"You would be bored as all get out, and not able to plan out your schemes at the park," she said with a smirk, clicking on the link to email her. A box popped up with her email address already in the 'to' box. All it needed was a subject, and a message. But what was I going to say to her? I opened and closed my hands, trying to get the nerves out of them. What was wrong with me? Why was I acting so childish? Why was I so nervous? What was the harm in an email? I looked at her, swallowing, then back to the screen, placing my hands on the keyboard and beginning to type.

" _Subject: A Chance for a Change_

_Dear Miss Day,_

_I have recently seen your blog post and I have a proposition for you. I am the owner of a fairly new park on Coney Island called Phantasma. We're looking for some new entertainment this summer, and I am interested in having you come and perform. Please email me back at your earliest convenience to set up a time and place to meet._

_Kind Regards,_

_Mr. Y"_

I took a breath, letting out slowly as I clicked 'send,' watching as the email disappeared from my screen. I began to pray quietly as Fleck left, praying that she would respond soon. Once again, I was left alone with my sleeping daughter nearby, and I began to compose again.


	4. Confrontations

_Paris  
_ _3am_

**Sophia's POV  
** I felt more relaxed after I sang out into the city, not realizing how late it was. I looked at my watch and rubbed my eyes, finishing off my wine and going back inside. I closed the terrace doors behind me, taking my glass and setting it on the table for the maids, stopping as I heard the lock click on the door and it slowly opened. I turned around as Drake slowly came inside, carrying what he could of the things that I had left behind at the theater, being quiet as to not disturb me. I assumed that he thought I was asleep. I headed to my room and began to pack my things, not saying a word to him, determined to go to New York without him if he didn't want to come with me. He stood outside of the door, knocking softly. I stopped packing for the moment, going to answer the door. I sighed softly and shook my head as I looked at him, folding my arms over my chest. His eyes had that familiar glossy look to them and he was having trouble staying on his feet, leaning against the wall for support while I took my things out of his hands.

"So, you finally went and got high," I said in a hard tone, setting my things on the bed as I resumed packing. I didn't look at him, staying focused on my work.

"Yeah…listen, Sophie, I'm really sorry that I grabbed you."

"That's what you always say."

"Yes, but this time I mean it. And I'm also sorry for how I acted towards you at the party. You had every right to say your goodbyes to your fans and your costars."

"I should have every right. You may be my manager, Drake, but I am your boss." I looked up from my suitcase, which was now full, holding a t-shirt in my hand as I crossed my arms, looking at him again. "I want to go back to New York, Drake. I miss it. You just don't like it because I was the one that had to pay your drug debt when you got tied in with the mob."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault," he said, kicking his shoes off, still not looking up at me. "I just ran up a bar tab."

"Really, a bar that that went up into the hundred thousands, Drake? Yeah, I doubt that was just a bar tab." I sighed softly, rubbing my eyes as I sat down on the bed. "The only thing that I have ever asked of you was to be honest with me. I've known about the drugs for six years, Drake. You should have told me that you were in so much trouble. I want to help you, but in order for me to help you, you should want the help. I can't help you otherwise, and I can't keep paying you when all of the money is going to drugs."

"I can get clean on my own, Sophie. I know that I can."

"I wish that I could believe you, but you haven't done a great job of getting clean so far."

"I want to do better, and I'm going to. I promise."

I sighed softly, rubbing my eyes again. "The next time you hurt me, you're fired. The next time you lie to me, you're fired. If you do anything to me in order to make me not perform, you're fired. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," he said in reply, slowly coming into my room, taking my hands and kissing them. I pulled them away quickly; his kisses, which used to be so soft and loving, felt like they burned my skin whenever he touched me. He stepped back, heading back out into the living area of the suite. I shook my head, getting another suitcase to pack my things into, thinking about our past. I did help him when we still lived in New York, when he was first getting into the drugs. He scared me so bad one night when he didn't come home and his roommate didn't know where he was. As soon as I got ready to file a missing persons report, I got this phone call from a lackey of a local mob boss demanding payment for drugs that Drake has allegedly stole. I made the payment, which nearly cleaned me out, but I was doing okay because I was still performing at the Met during that time. He told me that he would never let me do that again, and he has lived up to his word, but he still hadn't paid me back for as many times as I bailed him out of trouble. I was just closing my second suitcase when he came back into my room with my laptop, setting it on my bed. "Hey, I saw you updated your website. Nice blog post."

"Thanks," I said, setting my second suitcase on the floor. "Why did you bring my laptop in here?'

"Because you have a new email, and I figured that you would like to read it."

I raised an eyebrow as I sat down on my bed, getting my laptop and setting it on my laptop in my lap, clicking on the email to open it. The message was simple. It was from a Mr. Y, an owner of a theme park on Coney Island called Phantasma. As I read the message, something swelled inside of me. It was a mixture of joy, excitement, and a slight hint of nervousness. Phantasma…that sounded so familiar. But why did it sound so familiar? I scratched the back of my head as Drake took over packing for me, reading the message again. "Hmm," I said to myself, moving my hand to my cheek as I moved my legs around, crisscrossing them.

"What is it," Drake asked, glancing at the laptop while he continued to pack.

"Uh, just this email from a Mr. Y, who owns a theme park on Coney Island, called Phantasma. He wants me to come and perform this summer."

"Just perform? Does he say how much he's willing to pay you?"

"No, just to come and meet with him at my earliest convenience. What do you think I should send back?"

He shrugged. "That's up to you, Sophie. You did say that you wanted to go back to New York."

"I just don't know what to say to him…or her. Who knows who this Mr. Y is?"

"It's probably just his persona. In my opinion, as your friend and as your manager, I don't think you should get right back into performing right away. However, it would be good for you to go back to New York. Relax a little first though before you get back onstage. Sound good?"

I nodded, clicking the reply button, speaking as I typed the response to Mr. Y.

" _Dear Mr. Y,_

_Thank you for your email in response to my blog post. At this time, I will be returning to New York, but I am not interested in performing at this time. However, I would like to meet with you to discuss a possible place for me at Phantasma later this summer. I'll contact you as soon as we leave Paris._

_Yours truly,  
_ _Sophia Day"_

"Yours truly, huh? Getting a little fancy there."

"Shut up," I told Drake while he finished packing my third suitcase, clicking 'send' and closing my laptop. I went to my closet and began getting my stage clothes ready to pack. I thought about the email. There was still something plaguing me about it. Phantasma…why did I have such a feeling of nervousness? Of delight? Anxiousness? And that Mr. Y…the name sounded familiar also. I shrugged it off, and continued to pack.

_Coney Island  
_ _9pm_

**Erik's POV  
** I sat at my desk, writing down a few more notes, humming the music softly as to not wake Christine. I glanced over at her briefly, rubbing my eyes as I sat my pen down. My eyes moved up to the ceiling, my hands moving back behind my head once again. I closed my eyes, thinking about Sophia again. What was she doing? Was she reading the email? Was she resting after her long run as Mimi? I sighed a little, noticing a change in the room. I opened my eyes and glanced over at the couch, seeing Christine sitting up and rubbing her eyes, looking at me. I smiled at her, going over to the couch and taking her in my arms, setting her on my lap as I sat down, rubbing her back gently.

"Papa, who were you singing about," she asked bluntly, her voice tired and quiet as she rested her head on my shoulder.

"What do you mean?"

"My voice teacher says that whenever you sing with longing and power in your voice, you're singing about someone that you care about, miss, and you long to see again."

I sighed softly. My little girl was smart, and very clever. She knew that there was something missing in my life, or rather someone. "There is someone that I miss, Christine, and I miss her very much."

"Will you tell me about her?"

I bit my lip discreetly. I had to be careful of what I said to her. There were things that Christine wasn't old enough to know yet, and I know that she wasn't ready for what I wanted to tell her. "Well, there was someone that I love very much, but I left her a long time ago."

"Why did you leave her when you loved her?"

"Because she had a bright future ahead of her, and I didn't want to stand in her way."

"Do you think you'll see her again?"

I smiled softly, kissing her forehead. "I hope so."

As I held my little girl to me, I heard a quiet knock at the door. I looked up and watched as the door opened slowly, revealing the person behind it. I hid a cringe as I saw my mother-in-law, Isabella Girard. She was Emma's mother, the wealthy widow of a Wall Street tycoon, and one of the meanest sharks of New York's society ladder. She had jet black hair, and she wasn't very tall, standing a little over five foot. She always wore black suits with knee length skirt, and tasteful jewelry. She looked at us, giving me a look as she stood quietly. Christine looked up, smiling as she got off of my lap, going to hug her.

"Christine, your mother wants you to come home," she said softly, looking down at the little girl, then glanced at me. "Could you wait out in the hall for me?"

Christine looked at me, hesitant to go. I nodded. "It's all right, Christine. I'll be home soon. I promise."

She nodded, coming to hug me once more before she went out into the hall. I watched as Isabella shut the door, looking at me with her arms crossed. "Would you like to explain to me why my daughter called me on the verge of tears again tonight," she asked me, her voice hard and cold.

I rolled my eyes, going back over to my desk and starting to work again. "Isabella, please, not tonight. I'm not in the mood."

"I don't care if you're in the mood or not, Erik. You've been married to my daughter for almost ten years, and you haven't come to watch her perform once."

"Did you ever think that I'm busy with planning out the events for Phantasma this summer? I have my own things to do, you know!"

"First of all, Erik," she said, striding over to me, placing her hands on my desk, looking down at me, "you wouldn't even have this park if I hadn't loaned you the money three years ago. And as I recall, you still have to pay me back for all of that money I loaned you. I also pulled the strings to get this freak show of yours approved by the state, even though the other parks on this island were approved no problem." She moved behind me, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "Emma is starting to see who Christine's real mother is, Erik. Don't you find it interesting that she has the same long curly locks and beautiful face as a certain someone you…were with ten years ago?" She opened a drawer on the left side of my desk, pulling out a picture of Sophia from when she was Belle when she was my student so long ago, slamming it on my desk in front of me. "She will never come here, Erik. She has moved on. Can't you see that she has things that are more important than you and the child she left behind ten years ago? She's a slut, doing nothing but climbing the ladders of the celebrities that grace our world, while you're stuck here, rotting in this freak show Hell."

"Enough!" I shouted, bolting up from my chair, turning to face her. She took a step back, not expecting the reaction that I had. I towered over her, my hands balling into fists. "You'll be repaid, as I promised you would. Now, if you have nothing else left to say, please take my daughter home."

She sneered at me, turning on her heel and leaving the office. I let out an angry yell, pushing the manuscript paper off of my desk, throwing myself down in my chair. I was fuming. I hated that woman so much! I couldn't stand the sight of her, and every time we were alone, she reminded me that I owed her money. I glanced at the picture of Sophia before shoving it back into my desk. Everything that Isabella had said was true, but I knew that I had to try and keep the secret buried until everyone was ready for the truth to be revealed. I heard a familiar ping from my computer. I looked at its screen, moving the mouse around, seeing that I had a reply from Sophia. My heart stopped, wondering what she had replied. Did she say yes? Did she say no? I took a breath, letting it out slowly as I clicked on the email to open it. I read it to myself, saying some of the parts out loud. "Not interested in performing at this time…" My breath began to quicken with excitement, reading the last lines of the email. "She wants to meet with me….she wants to see me!" I stood up from my desk, wringing my hands, my gaze going back and forth to the park out and the monitor's screen as I began to sing.

**Ah, Sophie**  
 **My Sophie**  
 **Yes, I fled from your love once before**  
 **But Sophie**  
 **What we shared even you can't ignore**  
 **My Sophie**  
 **You'll be no longer denied**  
 **I'll have you back by my side  
** **My sweet Sophie!**

I moved out to the balcony, placing my hands on the railing as I gazed up at the night sky.

**And come what may**  
 **I swear somehow, someway  
** **I will hear you sing once more!**


	5. Arrival in New York

**Sophia's Dream  
** I stood on the bow of the ship that was called the Persephone as it began to dock into the harbor that connected with the island of Manhattan. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, smelling the fresh salt water of the sea and the smell of the city that was nearby. I opened my eyes once more, staring down into the cool water. I blinked once, then again as I looked at my reflection. From what I could see, my hair was up in a Victorian style. I was wearing a hat and what appeared to be a long gown. Traveling clothes, I assumed as I lightly touched the ringlets that were in my hair. It was then I realized that I was not Sophia Day, and this wasn't the reoccurring dream of Coney Island that I had before. No, this was a different dream. A more familiar dream, or rather, a distant memory from my past life. Once again, I was in the form of Christine Daae, and we had just arrived in New York for the very first time.

I turned around as I heard the sound of running footsteps upon the deck, seeing a little boy about the age of ten wearing an excited grin upon his face as he grabbed my hand. He was a sweet boy, with dark hair like mine and his eyes were like mine as well, but his face had the features of someone else that I knew. I smiled down at the little one as we walked together down the dock, preparing to disembark from the ship.

"Mother, isn't this exciting," he asked me as my eyes stayed forward for a moment. Until I realized that he had called me 'mother.' I looked down at my left hand, seeing a wedding band upon it. My heart leapt with joy as I began to wonder where my husband could be. "We're in New York, and I cannot wait to see Coney Island."

I looked down at him with a gentle smile, squeezing his hand lightly as I was greeted by another familiar face. Rather than the man I was hoping to see as my husband, I was seeing Drake, or rather Raoul, standing at the ramp and waiting for us. He looked the same as he did when we were younger, only he was not affected by drugs and greed. I looked at him for a moment, smiling lightly until my smile was greeted with a sneer. My smile faded as I stared at my husband. I wondered why he sneered at me, when I was only offering him a sign of my affection for him. As I gazed down at the mass of people below, I noticed a mob of reporters and cameramen only a few feet from the ramp. I released a low sigh, catching my breath once more as I felt a sharp tug from my husband as he pulled me to him.

"You will let me do the talking," he told me in a harsh tone. I hid a disgusted cringe as he spoke; I could smell the alcohol coming off of his breath. "You will not say one word. Just smile for the cameras. Do you understand?"

I nodded once, and then spoke softly so my son wouldn't hear. "Raoul, just be nice, please. We're new here and I want to make a good impression."

"I'm sure you do," he said through gritted teeth. "It was your idea to come here in the first place. We were perfectly happy where we were, and you had to go and ruin it."

I kept my mouth shut, placing my hand on my son's back as we walked down the ramp with Raoul leading in the front. Immediately, I heard shouts of my name coming from the reporters. As soon as my feet touched the dock, I was swarmed by them, all of them snapping pictures and asking me questions that all seemed to blend together.

"Her name is Madame deChangey, now stand aside," my husband spoke as he began to attempt to break through the slough of reporters, making a path for us to walk for. "No pictures, do you understand? No pictures of my wife. No pictures of the boy!"

"Hey Christine, why Coney Island," a reporter asked as he prepared to write my response down on his pad. "This is your first concert in years; you should be singing at the Met!"

"The Countess has been engaged by well known –"

"Well known? No one has ever seen the guy!"

"How did he lure the great Christine Daae over here anyway," another reporter stated, nudging the cameraman to take another pictures.

"It's the money, right? All of that American moola?"

"Oh, hey, Christine, what are you going to sing?  _Yankee Doodle Moola_?"

The reporters burst into laughter as I held Gustave close to me. I closed my eyes as Raoul stepped in front of us, shielding us from the mob as he began to shout.

"My wife is an artist, sir!"

"Yeah," the first reporter spoke, "and her art is paying off your gambling debts according to what they're saying in France."

"Is it true that you left your entire fortune on a roulette table in Monte Carlo," the second reporter asked, grinning from ear to ear. Raoul let out a low growl, lunging forward and grabbing the reporter by the shirt and coat, pulling him close to his face.

"You insolent jackal! How dare you!"

"Father," Gustave began, moving towards his father. I quickly pulled him back to me, placing my hands firmly on his shoulders as Raoul simply said, "Not now, Gustave," his full attention on the reporter that had insulted him.

"Hey kid," another reporter spoke, coming over to us, kneeling in front of Gustave. "How does it feel to have a famous mother?"

"Is this your first time in America? What do you plan to at Coney," another asked with a smile, her pen ready as she waited for his response. He looked up at me and I smiled, giving him a soft nod, letting him know that it was okay to speak.

"I…I want to learn how to swim."

**Sophia's Private Jet  
** **JFK Airport  
** **New York City  
** **5pm**  
I awoke with a start after the child's reply to the reporter, feeling the plane jerk as it began its descent to the runway. I blinked a couple of times, rubbing my eyes as I looked about the plane. Drake was asleep in the seat across from mine, and I didn't have any intentions on waking him up until we landed. He had lost his high from a few days prior to our flight and he was back to himself; the self that needed the fix. I stretched in my seat, moving around to pop my back as the plane drew closer and closer to JFK Airport. I sat in my seat, closing my eyes as I replayed the events of the last few days in my mind.

I had packed everything up in Paris with no help from Drake, labeling which boxes were mine and which were his. He was out of the hotel room a lot of the time up until it was time to leave for our flight, but I wasn't sure what he was doing during the two days that I didn't see him. While I was packing, I stayed in contact with Mr. Y, asking him questions about Phantasma and Coney Island so I would know what I was going into. He was very cryptic, not giving me a lot of information and only saying that everything would be revealed in time. The last set of emails that we had exchanged was when I told him that he was quite an enigma that was wrapped in a mystery, and that I cracked his anagram for 'mystery' and Mr. Y. When I opened his reply, I could have sworn that I heard him chuckling as he sent the email. His reply simply stated that I was very clever and that he would see me soon.

I chuckled quietly to myself as the pilot came over the PA and announced that we had landed in New York and we were docked safely at JFK. Drake jerked awake as the pilot made the announcement, getting up immediately and stretching. I noticed that he was hurriedly gathering his things and seemed incredibly eager to get off of the plane. I unbuckled my seatbelt, slowly standing and stretching, keeping an eye on Drake as I grabbed my carry-on bag from the overhead.

"Come on, already," he said, grabbing his bag before grabbing my arm, yanking me out into the aisle of the plane. I caught myself on the row of seats across from me, standing up and glaring at him. "I want to get into the city before the traffic gets any worse."

"What is wrong with you," I asked as we began to exit the plane. "You have been so on edge since we left Paris, you didn't help me pack, and –"

"And what?" he snapped, staring me down, the employees of the airport staring at us. "What else do you have to say, Sophia?"

I gulped softly, clutching the handles of my carry-on bag in my hand. I looked away just for a moment, but that moment was long enough to realize that there were members of TMZ just a few feet outside of our gate. I glanced up at him, trying to remain calm as I heard the reporters shouting my name and trying get pass the airport security. "How did they know that I was coming back?"

"What are you going on about now?"

"TMZ. How did they know I was going to be here, Drake?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?"

"Um, let's see. Because you're my manager?"

"Okay, I told them. Are you happy now?"

"Wait. You purposefully told them to be here?"

"Yes, I did."

"Why would you do something so careless and so…so…stupid?"

"Deal with it," he said, shoving me out and feeding me to the wolves of TMZ. I shot him a glare as I started to walk to leave the airport. Immediately, the reporters began to shout questions and I put on a smile as I walked, Drake following closely behind.

"Sophia! How does it feel to be back in New York," the first reporter asked, holding a recorder out in front of him as cameras captured my every movement.

"It feels really great. I'm incredibly excited."

"How is your manager feeling? We heard that he pulled quite a stunt at your final performance gala in Paris almost a week ago."

"Oh, he's just –"

"How did you hear about that," Drake asked as we headed outside, people stopping in their tracks to catch a glimpse of me.

"Well, it's all over the Internet," the first reporter replied as I ducked away from the group, cringing at the thought of what was going to happen next. "Some amateur caught video of it and sent it to us. I'm surprised that you're not more careful with your star. But then again, I suppose that you care more about the drugs than you do about her."

Drake released a low growl and grabbed ahold of the reporter by his shirt, pulling him close to his face. "Now you listen here, fuckwad. You will remove that video or I will sue you for everything that your worthless life is worth."

"Oh, Drake, stop it! You're being ridiculous!"

"I'm handling this, Sophia!"

I groaned softly as I placed my hand over my face in embarrassment, hearing a horn honking nearby. I looked up and saw a stretch limo coming towards me. The press from TMZ was busy snapping pictures and recording Drake to notice it. This was a different kind of stretch limo; it was definitely one that I had never seen before. Even though I could see a driver in the front, this limo was specially designed to look like a carriage from the 1900s. And it looked gorgeous. It was black with beautiful Victorian designs around the doors and the windows. The windows were also tinted, just as a normal limo would be, so I couldn't tell if there were other occupants inside. I began to walk towards the vehicle as it slowed to a stop, the reporters now beginning to take notice. Drake took notice as well, slowly letting go of the reporter, and coming over to me. Just as he walked over to me, the door flew open and revealed a tall, thin man, dressed in a black Victorian style suit and wearing a top hat. The reporters gasped excitedly, whispering the man's name behind me as they started recording and snapping pictures once more. His name was Gangle, and he flashed me a grin as he started to sing.

_Are you ready to begin?_  
 _Are you ready to get on?  
_ _You're about to start out on the journey of your life…_

I smiled as he bowed with the last line, taking my hand and kissing the top of it gently. Drake pulled me back by the other hand as Gangle hopped down out of the limo as he continued to grin. "Is this some kind of joke," Drake asked angrily as I pulled my hand away, moving closer to the limo.

"No, this is just a publicity stunt for that freak show on Coney! And it looks like they're eyeing your girl there, Drake."

Drake shot them another glare as a second man appeared from the top of the limo, grinning from ear to ear as he stood up, the reporters shouting the name Squelch. This Squelch was a heavier man, much heavier than Gangle, but dressed in the same style as Gangle, only he was wearing a round hat. He jumped down to the ground just a few feet in front of me, grinning still has he sang.

_If you're ready, then get in!_  
 _Once you're in, we'll get gone  
_ _And who knows once it goes where you'll be when it arrives…_

He bowed and kissed the opposite hand that Gangle had kissed, pulling me closer to the limo. "This is outrageous," Drake shouted, moving to pull me away once more. The reporters only laughed, snapping more pictures.

"Are you kidding? This is brilliant! Mr. Y is an absolute genius!"

My heart stopped as I glanced at the reporters, then back at Squelch and Gangle. "You work for Mr. Y?"

"Of course we do," a woman's voice replied. I looked up at the limo and saw a little woman with blond hair, wearing a little top hat and dressed in a black Victorian style dress. She smiled at me, moving to invite me to get inside the limo. "We're actually here to pick you up and take you to the hotel that you'll be staying at by special request of Mr. Y." She grinned even more, and sang.

_It's a funhouse where the mirrors all reflect what's real_  
 _And reality's as twisted as the mirrors reveal  
_ _And the fun is finding out what the mirrors show…_

I turned and smiled at Drake, ushering him to get into the limo, who rolled his eyes in reply. "This is unacceptable, do you hear me? I'll be taking this up with your employer, whoever he is!"

I rolled my eyes in reply as Squelch shoved him inside, which made me smile. As I began to get into the limo, I turned to the reporters and I sang, grinning from ear to ear.

_Everything and everyone_  
 _It seems just how I dreamed_  
 _All the freaks and all the fun_  
 _Exactly how I dreamed_  
 _And Phantasma still awaits  
_ _Wonder what's behind its gates…_


	6. Nighttime On Coney Island

**Coney Island  
** **7pm  
** **Erik's POV**  
I stood in my office, pacing back and forth as I waited for the trio to return to me. I held my hands behind my back as I paced, growing more nervous with each passing moment. I strode out to the balcony, watching the crowds below as they made their way through my park. My hands moved from my back to the balcony's railing, gripping it so forcefully that it could have given way and I would have plummeted to the sea of people below. I heard the noise of the crowds that had gathered inside the concert hall. My eyes made their way over to it as the noise grew louder. Emma had taken the stage for her fourth show of the day, and had one more to perform yet in only few hours. I tore my eyes away from the concert hall as I heard the playful screams of Christine and her friends below. I smiled softly as I watched her run up and down the docks, heading to the next exhibit. She reminded me so much of her mother. Carefree and full of joy...was she still the same after all these years?

I walked off of the balcony and back into my office, closing the doors behind me. I moved over to the bookcase and pulled the book 'Jekyll and Hyde' from the shelf. With a clank and a long creak, the bookcase opened and revealed spiraling ramps and a staircase, leading to a dark abyss that lay below the island. I made my way through the darkness with no problem, coming to my private sanctuary. It was simple, and yet complex at the same time. Though the entire lair was cascaded in shades of blue, certain lights revealed some of the freaks that I kept around the park, but as the lights dimmed, they would disappear and hide themselves away. To the left of the room was an antique piano that I had refurbished and tuned myself. I had found it when I found this place. My compositions laid all over it, some finished and unfinished. I sat down at the bench, absorbing the quiet of the home that I had made for myself, looking to the piano once more. I had a picture of Sophia in a frame, an unfinished song lying beside it. I picked up the manuscript paper, looking at it once more for what seemed like the millionth time, seeing the notes gracing the pages that I held carefully in my hand. However, with the notes, the paper was still blank for there were no words to accompany the music. I sighed softly, though it echoed through the empty walls, setting the music aside once again.

"There you are," a voice said in the shadows, accompanied by three sets of footfalls. I looked up, seeing a candelabra being lit. I saw Fleck, with Gangle and Squelch behind her. They made their way down the rest of the ramp as I smiled, standing to greet them, changing the lighting slightly to a lighter shade of blue as they stood in front of me. I took the candelabra from Fleck, setting it on the piano as she spoke again. "We've been looking everywhere for you. What made you want to come down here?"

"I just needed some quiet for a few moments," I replied, moving my hands behind my back once more. "How was she? How did she look? Was everything all right? Did everything go off as planned?"

"Slow down, Master," Gangle said, removing his top hat, revealing the tall red-orange spike of hair that he had on his head, leaning against the railing of the ramp. "I know you're excited, but trust me, you won't be after what we have to tell you."

I frowned, my hands dropping to my sides, looking at my companions. My eyes shifted down to Fleck, my brow furrowing as anger began to build inside of me. "What happened?"

"Well," she began, wringing her small hands, looking at Gangle and Squelch for assistance.

"What happened!"

"Well," she said again, clearing her throat before continuing. "When we arrived, Miss Day was standing outside. She had just snuck away from the crowd of TMZ reporters that had surrounded her."

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. "TMZ was there?"

"Yeah, and it wasn't pretty," Squelch added, his hands in his pockets. "She had this guy with her, and –"

"Guy? What guy? Describe him. Now!"

"He was about her height, maybe a few inches taller than her. Blond and actually a bit strung out looking."

I blinked, searching my memory for someone who fit that description. I let out a low growl, my hands clenching into fists. "Drake."

"Yeah, that's him."

I turned away from them, my fists on the piano. I couldn't bear to face them as I struggled to fight back tears, let alone when I asked them this next question that plagued my mind. "Was…was she happy?"

"Far from it," Fleck replied. "They fought the whole way to the hotel. He's not a very good manager."

I lifted my head, the tears gone as I turned to look back at them. "Manager? He's her manager?"

"Yeah, and believe me, she's not happy about it. They fought the entire time. I honestly thought that it was going to turn violent at any moment."

"Does she feel trapped?"

"If I were her, I would feel trapped."

I nodded, moving past them and bolting up the ramp and back up to my office upstairs. Fleck, Squelch, and Gangle followed closely behind. "I'm going to her."

"Master, do you really think that's best? She just got here, and she has no idea who you really are yet."

"I don't care, Fleck," I replied, grabbing my long trench coat and throwing it on, buttoning it hurriedly. "If she's in danger with Drake, I need to get her away from him."

"And how do you expect to pop in on her? 'Oh, hi, Sophia. Remember me? I knew that you would, oh and by the way, I'm Mr. Y, and your new boss!' Yeah, I'm sure that's going to go over very well."

"Is she in the suite?"

"Master, please listen to reason! This is not the best time!"

"Is she in the suite?"

Fleck could see that I couldn't be stopped. I stood in the doorway, waiting for a reply. There was only a soft 'yes' that escaped her lips, and I headed to the back door of the building that I was in. I shouted to the trio to watch over Christine and I would be back as soon as I could. The hotel that Sophia was staying at was only a few blocks away, but I knew that it would take me a while to get to the balcony of her room. I walked down the pier and a few city blocks away from Phantasma before I found myself in front of the Coney Island Hotel, a hotel not only famous for its rich history, but its supposedly haunted halls and rooms. I made my way to the back of the building and found the balcony of the suite in which she was staying in. I looked around for a way up, quickly finding a ladder that led up to the roof. I began to climb it slowly, my mind and heart racing with excitement and adrenaline, the cool Manhattan air brushing past me as I made my way to the roof. Her balcony was just below, the doors shut and the lights on. I jumped down and landed on the balcony quietly, leaning against the wall, watching her through the windows of the balcony doors.

My God…how she aged. So beautiful. So…so perfect.

And she would be mine once more.

I could hear her and Drake arguing through the thin glass of the windows. I could hear the hurt and pain in her voice. I leaned my head against it, my hand pressing against the doors, waiting for the proper moment to enter and reveal myself to her.

**Coney Island Hotel  
** **9pm  
** **Sophia's POV**  
I sat on the couch, my hand on the remote as I watched the TV. TMZ was showcasing me at the top of the hour. I glanced over at Drake, who was standing at the bar, drinking his fifth glass of bourbon. I cringed as the report came on, watching and listening, gripping the remote as they made fun of me. I couldn't take it anymore; I turned off the TV and threw the remote at him. He ducked and it clattered against the wall, my fists clenched as I prepared myself for retaliation. He sneered at me, and downed the rest of his drink.

"How could you have been so stupid, Drake? Why did you do that?"

"Get over it, Sophie."

"Get over it? Get over it? How can I get over this? You are such a fucking idiot!"

"I'm an idiot? I'm not the one who decided to come back to this hellhole just because I missed it!"

"Oh, my God, how did you get to be so freaking ridiculous?"

"Oh, I can't take this anymore," he said, heading towards the door and opening it. "I'm leaving!"

"Good! Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out, and don't bother coming back!"

Drake gave me one more sneer and slammed the door behind him. I let out a frustrated groan as I stomped off to my bedroom, throwing myself down on the bed. I sighed heavily, wrapping my arms around a pillow. How did we get here? What happened to the person that I used to know? How did he become what he is now? Why did become this person that I was afraid of? I sat up and looked around my hotel suite. I loved it, and I was sorry that I had trashed the remote to the TV. There was also another object in the living area of the suite that the bellboy had told me about when we first arrived. Sitting on an end table next to the baby grand piano that was in the room was an old Coney Island music box. It had a clown on it playing a drum and a model of a Coney Island theme park that rotated inside. Unfortunately, the bellboy said that it no longer worked and it was only in here for decoration. I stretched and stood up, moving out into the living room. The first thing that I did was lock the door so Drake couldn't come back in. Next, I began to clean up my mess and putting the remote back together. I rubbed my eyes, moving to return to my bedroom to turn in for the night. As I turned my back to the living room, I heard this faint chime. I slowly turned and saw it was the music box. It had turned on by itself, and it was working without any glitches. I walked over to it, picking it up and carefully examining it, moving it to another table. I stared at it; the tune that it played brought another familiar melody to mind.

_You have come here_  
 _In pursuit of your deepest urge_  
 _In pursuit of that wish which till now has been silent  
_ _Silent…_

I gasped softly, moving to the other side of the couch, backing away from this music box. It had to be haunted. Yes, that was it. It was haunted.

Suddenly, the balcony doors flew open, a tall dark figure appearing in the shadows. He slowly stepped forward. My heart stopped, my breath quickening as my vision suddenly became blurry. Tall. Black hair. Those electric blue eyes. Dressed all in black. His scarred face.

Erik.

I never said a word. My knees buckled beneath me and everything went black.


	7. Once There Was a Night

**Erik's POV  
** Just as I stepped in room from the balcony, I could tell that I had taken her completely by surprise. Her face went pale white, the color immediately draining from it when her eyes fell upon me. All too quickly, she dropped, having fainted from the shock of seeing me. I quickly moved to her, even though I didn't catch before she fell to the carpeted floor. I moved the tail of my long coat out of the way as I knelt down beside her, observing her for a brief moment. I slowly placed my hands upon her, turning her over onto her back slowly. She was out cold and yet still exquisitely beautiful.

Seeing her for the first time in ten years took my breath away. Her long curly locks were up in a messy ponytail and her milky white skin still smooth and hardly aged. I slowly inched my arms beneath her and gently lifted her to me, slowly standing and striding across the room to the bedroom. I shuddered as I felt her warm body against mine, those memories of that night so long ago flooding my mind. I gently laid her on the bed, my hands slowly going down her arms, sighing softly at the thought of my arms being around her when I knew there was no way I could. Not before I told her the truth.

I left the bedroom and sat down on the couch, sighing once more as I ran my hand through my hair. I looked around her suite and took it all in, trying to resist the urge to go through her things that were still packed up and sitting by the door. I noticed she had her things labeled separately, the majority of the boxes being hers. I glanced back towards the bedroom, making sure that she was still out cold before I got up once more. I had to be quick; her breathing was low and she was sure to wake soon. I quickly went to the boxes that were marked for Drake, my curiosity finally getting the better of me as I pulled out my pocket knife and quickly cut through the tape. I pulled back the flaps, digging through the box to see what I could find. I was surprised to see that Drake didn't have more personal items besides clothes. They had been together for at least five years, if not longer. What was going on?

I closed the box again, looking around the suite again, making my way to the balcony again. I moved my hands behind my back, taking in the night air and the beautiful view of Phantasma in the night from afar. I sighed contently, closing my eyes, my memories flashing back to that night that was so long ago for both of us. For a moment, I had forgotten where I was. Until my cell phone started ringing.

I quickly pulled it out of my pocket and muted the ringer as I looked at the caller ID. I cringed as I saw it was Emma calling me. I unlocked the phone and placed it to my ear. "Hello, darling," I spoke in a muted voice, placing my other hand in my pocket.

"Where are you," she asked in a hurt tone, hearing the chatter of the chorus girls in the background. I looked at the clock and saw that it was after 11, and Emma had finished her last show of the day. I mouthed the first curse word that came to mind, clearing my throat.

"I'm working on the new show, honey. I'm so sorry I missed the last show of the evening."

"Yeah, you're always sorry," she muttered bitterly, hearing something clattering in the background. "We've been performing for almost a week, and you haven't come to see me once. I'm getting really sick of this."

"I know, Emma, but I can't handle you being mad at me while I'm trying to put a new show together. I need your support."

"I just don't understand why you have to put a new show together. Aren't I good enough?"

"Emma, you're amazing. You know you are. I just don't want to work you to death. I want you to be able to spend time with Christine and me."

"How can I spend time with you when you're not even there?"

I sighed quietly on my end of the phone, gripping it. "Emma, I promise I'll spend some time with you soon, okay? I have to go. Don't wait up for me; I'll be late."

"Fine," she replied through gritted teeth, and with that last reply, there was a click and the phone went dead. I sighed softly, ending the call and slipping the phone back into my pocket. I folded my arms over my chest, gazing out at the scenery once more, closing my eyes just once. I didn't realize that I was being watched until I heard the most beautiful voice in the world.

"What are you doing here?"

**Sophia's POV  
** I had returned to consciousness only a few moments before I made my way out into the living room. It all seemed to be a dream. The balcony doors coming open and revealing the one man who plagued my mind for the last ten years. I knew that I had fainted; what I didn't know was how I made it to my bed. I looked around my room and didn't see anyone, but I heard a voice out in the living room. At first, I thought it was Drake, having returned after the rampage that had occurred only hours before. Until I heard the soft and gentle tones that began to resonate in my mind. I slowly and quietly made my way to the living room, watching him quietly since he was on the phone. I did not know who he was on the phone with, but I could tell it was someone who was mad at him from the pained look that was written upon his face. I waited until all was said and the phone conversation was through before I spoke the question that was burning in my mind.

"What are you doing here?"

I watched as he raised his head and slowly turned towards me. My heart began to beat wildly against my chest as I saw him. It was the first time in ten years that I saw him, since that fateful night. He hadn't changed at all. He was still beautiful, even with the scars on the right side of his face, and I began to find it hard to resist him almost immediately. He stepped down once again from the balcony, moving towards me slowly, as if it were a dream. His coat glided as he walked, his electric blue eyes staring at me, taking me in as if he had seen me for the first time. I moved to the opposite side of the doorway to the bedroom, my hand against the wall. He stopped in his place as he noticed that I had been moving away from him. As my mind began to dwell on that long ago night ten years ago, I began to grow angry and hurt thinking about how he had left me behind.

"What are you doing here," I asked again, my voice a little more harsh and cold than what it was before. I watched as he put his hands behind him, staying away from me.

"I came to see you," he replied simply, moving once again towards me.

"Why? There's no reason why you should be here. This has got to be a dream," I said, starting to pinch myself, even though I was wide awake.

"It's not a dream, Sophie. You're wide awake, having only fainted a few moments ago. I'm sorry that I took you by surprise, but I didn't know how else to come to you."

"This just doesn't make any sense, Erik. There is no reason that you should be here!"

"That is no way to talk to your new boss, Sophie."

My heart dropped, and so did the rest of my body, luckily into the chair that was behind me. A look of pure shock was written all over my face. I knew it was. "You're lying," I stated boldly, standing back up again. "You have to be."

I didn't expect him to come over to me. It was all too quick. He took ahold of my hand, and pulled me over to the balcony, pulling me outside and into the night summer air. He pointed out towards Coney Island, and to the only theme park that seemed to be this late. "Do you see that park glowing in the night? Do you see its dazzling lights, drawing people in?" As I tried to move away from him, he wrapped his arms tightly around me, pulling me close to him, my back against his broad chest. I tried to fight the shudder that rushed through my body, struggling against him as I looked out at the park. "That is Phantasma, and you'll soon be a part of it, Sophie."

I struggled against him more at the thought. There was no way that I was really ready for this. I couldn't work for him, not without every emotion that I felt towards him coming out. The more I struggled, the tighter his grip became around my small frame. I finally stopped fighting after a while. Slowly, reluctantly, he let me go and I moved to the other side of the balcony. I gazed up at the sky, knowing he was watching me. My mind traveled to that night once more. The skies were similar; there was no moon in sight. The dark blues and blacks of the night sky were intertwined with just a slight hint of distant stars. Unlike the winter sky, this summer sky was clear, so clear that it seemed that you could see straight into heaven. I glanced at him once, and then moved my gaze to the park. I watched as slowly the lights of the park began to dim and eventually shut completely down for the evening. While I watched, my mind began reeling with questions about him, what he was doing, what possessed him to own a theme park of all things, and the biggest question of all…why?

I walked back into the suite, heading to the bar for a drink. I knew that he had followed. As he did, he closed the balcony doors behind him, but stayed near them, afraid to come near me. I got a bottle of wine out with two glasses, pushing one towards him on the bar. With this simple gesture, he began to slowly move forward and I opened the wine, letting it breathe for a moment before pouring.

"So," I began slowly, taking my wine glass into my hand as he took his, leaving the bottle on the bar as I walked towards the couch. "Ten years."

"Yes," he said, staying by the bar, staring into his glass as I sat down. "And so much has changed."

"Well, that depends on how you look at it. What have you been doing since we last saw each other?"

"So much," he said, running his left hand over his hair. That's when I caught the sight of the wedding band that was around his ring finger. I felt my stomach lurch and knot up, as well as my heart breaking. I took a drink of wine as he cleared his throat to continue. "I'm married, and we have a child."

I nodded softly. "Congratulations. I'm sure you're very happy now."

He shrugged, taking a sip of his wine as he looked at me. "Depends on how you look at it."

"How long have you been married?"

He sighed, sipping at his wine again. "Ten years."

"So…she was after me."

"Yes, but you'll meet her soon enough," he said quickly, coming over to me and sitting in the chair opposite of the couch, watching me. "You've grown since I last saw you."

"Is that the nice way of telling me that I've gotten old?"

He chuckled lightly. "Not at all, Sophie. You're still beautiful, and your talent…my God, I can't even begin to describe how your talent has grown."

"Erik, I have grown in many ways, and some of those ways have changed how I felt about you."

"You don't think I know that?"

"No, I know you have known that. These past ten years, we have both grown up, but we have also grown apart. You dropped off of the face of the Earth to me." I downed the rest of my wine, looking at him. "Do you not realize how much you hurt me?"

"I didn't mean to."

"You knew that I loved you."

"And that is why I left, Sophie," he said, setting his wine glass down on the table, coming to me and taking my hands, sitting beside me. "I knew that you loved me. I loved you too, but I knew that if we stayed together after Christmas, it would have killed your career. I couldn't have that. I couldn't stand the thought of all of our work together going to waste."

"I would have followed anywhere you led," I replied softly, lightly pressing my forehead against his. "Did you know that I was that devoted to you? I would have given up everything that Julliard offered, as well as New York, San Francisco, and Paris. It would have all been for you."

He gently gripped my hands. "I couldn't have that. You were not going to be some ball of talent that gave it all up for a man. I wasn't going to allow that."

"You could have been my manager. No one would have been the wiser."

"You needed to concentrate. I would have been a distraction, and you know it."

"But Erik –"

"Damn it, Sophie, stop arguing with me!" he shouted, dropping my hands and standing up. "You know it's true so don't bother denying it. Give it up."

I swallowed a small lump that emerged in my throat, folding my hands in my lap. "Did that night mean anything to you?"

"Of course it did. I was with you, the woman I loved for the very first time, fully."

"I thought we would have been together forever after that night."

"I know," he said, turning away from me. "You're not the only one that keeps wondering 'what if,' Sophie. Trust me on this one."

I nodded softly, standing up. Suddenly, I heard a crash down the hall and angry shouts coming from another familiar voice. "Shit," I said, moving towards the balcony and opening the doors, motioning for him to follow. "You need to go, Erik. Now, please."

"No way," he said as he stepped out on the balcony, pulling me into the shadows with him. "I'm not going to leave you here alone with him."

"I'll be fine. I can handle him, but I won't be able to handle him if he sees you here. I know he'll go into a rage."

"What is he on, Sophie? I can help him."

"He doesn't want help, now please go."

"I want to see you again," he said as he climbed towards the ladder that led to the ground below, staying at level with me.

"I still can't believe that you own this place," I said with a smile, as I reached for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He grinned in a devilish way, taking a breath as he held onto the ladder, singing to me.

**Tell me where you'd like to go**  
 **Tell me what you want to see**  
 **I can grant any wish  
** **Sophie, please, I insist!**

I grinned, motioning to him to start climbing down as I heard Drake trying to get into the door. I leaned against the balcony, singing back to him.

_Could you show me_  
 _If you please_  
 _All Phantasma's mysteries_  
 _All that's strange and wild and dark  
_ _In the shadows of the park?_

He chuckled and quickly whispered, "You'll see it all soon. I promise." And with that, he disappeared once again into the darkness. I went back inside, closing the doors behind me and cleaning up the evidence of guests and wine while Drake still struggled with the key and the door. I changed for bed, my mind dwelling on Erik as it had done before so long ago, even though I had taught myself to block it out. When the commotion of the door had become quiet, I went over and unlocked the door, slowly opening it. When I saw that Drake had fallen asleep in the doorway, I slowly pulled the door open and let him slide down to the floor. I dragged him inside the rest of the way before shutting and locking the door again. I went to my bedroom, closing the doors behind me and getting into bed, drifting off into a deep and heavy sleep.


	8. The Next Morning

**Erik's Dream/POV  
** Capturing her in my embrace once again, I pulled her to me, kissing her lips so fiercely that we nearly fell. Her hands moved hungrily over my chest, carelessly and desperately working on the buttons of my shirt in the darkness. I closed my hands around hers, holding them to me to stop her, kissing her once more, our tongues exploring and tasting each other's mouths. I pulled away, breathing deeply as she kissed along my jaw and eventually down my throat. I released a guttural groan as I pulled her up, lifting her around me, but I never moved to another room. I just held her to me, afraid to let go. Afraid to lose her again. I felt her warm, soft lips traveling to my ear, lightly sucking and nibbling as she did so. The only thing that escaped from her lips was a soft, low whisper.

"Erik…"

I jerked awake from the dream, back into the reality of the world that I lived in. I blinked a couple of times before I sat up, rubbing my eyes. I felt the bed; it was cold. Emma probably had a good couple hours on me. She had been asleep when I arrived at home late in the evening, and so was Christine. I greeted them both with a kiss on the forehead, and then left them alone to sleep. As I lay down beside Emma, I stared at the ceiling rather than falling asleep. I thought about her throughout the night, as well as how Emma would take the news that Sophia was back in the country, let alone the same state. It would be in the paper tomorrow, if she hadn't watched TMZ yet. I rubbed my eyes again, sighing softly as I leaned against the headboard.

The door opened and Emma came inside the bedroom, shutting the door behind her. She had just returned from jogging, just as she always did in the morning. She didn't say anything to me at first, only going to the master bathroom to shower and change. I got up, slowly heading into the bathroom and shutting the door. She was brushing out her long blond hair and the water was running for the shower. Even though she saw me in the mirror, she didn't acknowledge me until I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind, kissing her shoulder softly.

"Good morning," I whispered, pulling her closer to me as she tried to pull away, my hands gently gripping her arms. "How was your run?"

"Why do you care," she replied sharply, pushing my hands away and pulling out from my grasp. She began to strip down, throwing her sweaty clothes in the hamper. "If you don't care enough to come watch the performances, why do you care about how my run went," she asked as she got into the shower, pulling the curtain forcefully to shield herself from me. I let out a low sigh as I took my shorts off and climbed in behind her, the warm water running over us as I took a washcloth and began to wash her back.

"I care because I love you," I replied, gently massaging her back with the washcloth. "I am sorry that I didn't make it last night, but I will be there the next night. You're off today; why don't you, Christine, and I go to the city and have a picnic in Central Park? It's going to be a lovely day."

"There are rehearsals today," she replied as she tilted her head back, her eyes closed. I noticed that she had begun to relax. I pulled her closer to me, kissing her neck softly. "I really should be there. We're going to start the choreography for 'Bathing Beauty' today."

I smiled against her skin as I moved my hands over her chest and Emma let out a low moan, her hand moving to the shower wall to support herself. "Is there any way I can convince you to take the day off," I asked softly, turning her towards me. I cupped her face in my hands, kissing her lovingly and deeply. I felt her hands wrap around my neck as she kissed me back, pressing her small body against mine. I pulled her closer and pressed her against the wall, kissing her again.

As the passion between us began to rise, that familiar feeling of guilt came back like a freight train. It was the same feeling that I have always felt when I was with Emma. I fought through it to show my love for her. I did love her, in my own way. But she wasn't Sophia, and never would be. I held her to me as I turned off the water, carrying her to our bedroom and laying her down. I kissed her again, pinning her hands over her head, disassociating myself with the present and thinking about the past instead. Sophia was there instead of Emma. It was Sophia who was laying beneath me, embracing me, her soft lips against mine. In my mind, along with the images of Sophia, these words danced through, captivating me and trapping me within the past.

_And with every breath and every sigh,_  
 _I felt no longer scared…_  
 _I felt no longer shy…_  
 _At last our feelings bared  
_ _Beneath a moonless sky…_

A little over an hour later, Emma, Christine and I were downstairs in our kitchen, enjoying a light breakfast of fruit and cereal. Emma turned on the local news to watch while she ate, her hand resting on my thigh underneath the table. She smiled at me as she took another bite, Christine rubbing her sleepy eyes yet as she slowly ate her breakfast. As I began to think about how blessed I was that Christine had a mother figure in her life, the morning broadcast of TMZ came on. Emma looked up as she heard Sophia's name being broadcasted first, removing her hand from my thigh and placing it on the table. I watched the broadcast, listening to the words that the reporters were saying.

" _So, Sophia Day is back in the States."  
_ " _She is? That's awesome! How did she look?"  
_ " _She looked fantastic, and we got some footage of her and her manager getting off of her plane at JFK airport."_

The scene cut from the news room to the cameras following Sophia and Drake as they walked through the airport, trying to get to the vehicle that I had sent for her. She smiled at the cameras as Drake followed behind. They were right; she did look fantastic. The flash from the cameras were so bright I thought she would have been blinded. I could see the annoyance on Drake's face, so I knew that they had just had it out. I took a bite of an apple as I watched, my other hand resting on my coffee cup.

" _Sophia! How does it feel to be back to be back in New York?"  
_ " _It feels great. I'm incredibly excited."  
_ " _How is your manager feeling? We heard that he pulled quite a stunt at your final performance gala in Paris almost a week ago."_

They went to the amateur video that was captured by a fan in Paris. I gripped my cup as I watched Drake arguing with her, gripping her arm and pulling her back and forth as the main narrator talked about what was going on in the clip. I felt Emma's eyes on me as I put my apple down and my hand gripped into a fist, slowly sipping at my coffee as it cut back to the newsroom.

" _Wow, how did she handle that?"  
_ " _Well, she tried to cover it up, but then her manager went berserk. We got footage of that too."_

The next thing we saw was Drake freaking out on a reporter, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt, threatening a lawsuit if they didn't take the video down. Off to the side, you could see the limo that I had sent for Sophia with Squelch, Gangle, and Fleck. They didn't show the rest of the footage. Instead, they went back to the newsroom.

" _Wow, they have more dysfunction in their partnership than a redneck family in Mississippi," the editor stated with a laugh from the crew.  
_ " _Sophia better get control of that manager before he loses control on her."  
_ " _I would think she would just fire him before she signs the contract with Phantasma. She's due to perform there later this summer."_

With that, I stood up and turned the television off, dumping my coffee down the sink, trying to remain calm as Christine began to squeal and clap excitedly.

"Daddy, why didn't you tell me she was coming here," she asked me as she stood up from her chair, coming over and wrapping her arms around me at my waist.

"Yes, Erik," Emma began as she stood up as well, clearing her dishes in the trashcan. I turned around, seeing the anger in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell us?"

I bent down and kissed Christine on the forehead. "Christine, why don't you go upstairs and get ready? I have to talk to your mother." As she nodded and retreated upstairs, I turned my attention to Emma, my hand on the counter. "I didn't tell you guys because it's not set in stone yet. I have yet to meet with her and discuss a contract."

"So you are going to hire her to perform at Phantasma? In my place?"

"No, not in your place. It's going to be a one night engagement towards the end of the summer."

"But she's going to be there, all of the time, and she'll probably be with you most of the time."

"Emma, if she's with me, it will probably be for the contract and to set up the performance." I pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her, cupping her cheek in my hand. "Emma, don't you trust me? It's been ten years; things have changed and feelings change. Can't you see that?" She shrugged herself away from me, pulling away.

"I have rehearsals today," she said, grabbing her things and heading towards the door. "Have fun with Christine. I'll be back this evening."

With those final words, she opened the door and slammed it shut behind her, heading off to the rehearsals for 'Bathing Beauty.' I sighed heavily as I rubbed my eyes, Christine peeking around the corner of the kitchen doorway. I looked over, smiling a little as I saw her in her little sundress and flats, ready to go to the city.

"Is Mommy not coming," she asked softly, afraid to come out from behind the wall. I walked over to her, picking her up in my arms, holding her close.

"No, honey, I'm afraid she's not. Looks like it's just going to be me and you today."

She let out a little sigh, looking down at her hands. "Mommy never wants to hang out with us, or when it's just me."

"Why do you say that?"

"I don't know. It just seems like Mommy doesn't want me around."

"Oh, Christine," I said softly, sitting her on my lap as I sat down on the stairs. "Mommy loves you very much, I promise. She just…her career is very important to her, and you remember how summertime can be around here, especially with me."

"I know, Papa," she said, laying her head on my shoulder. I kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back, watching her as she slowly cheered up and a smile appeared on her face.

"Come on," I said, placing her feet on the floor and taking her hand. "Let's head into the city. I'm sure I can find something for us to do this afternoon."

With that, I grabbed the keys and we walked out, locking the door behind us. I thought of Sophia and what she was going to do today, with it being her first full day back in New York.


	9. The Tour of Phantasma

Sophia's Dream/POV

I stirred as the sun's rays danced through the hotel room's windows, hiding my face in my arms. Oh, how I wished that I could stay asleep for just a little while longer. I let out a little sigh. It was going to be a beautiful day. I would have given anything to stay in bed for just a few more minutes. I slowly opened my eyes as I felt a soft kiss grace the back of my neck, my long curly locks being moved out of the way to gain more access to my bare skin. Another kiss was planted softly as a strong arm wrapped around my waist, rolling me over to face him. I looked into his beautiful eyes, my hand moving over his scarred cheek. He only grinned, placing his thumb and index finger under my chin and pulling me in for a loving kiss. There was more love in this kiss than I had felt in ages from the people around me. He pulled me closer, kissing my shoulder again as I buried my head in his neck.

"Promise me something," I whispered softly, my hands moving his bare back, moving up and down slowly.

"Anything," he replied, just as he always did before.

"Never leave me again."

"I swear on the moon, stars, and sun that I will never leave you again."

"Sophia," came Drake's voice from behind the door, followed by a gentle knock. "Come on, I ordered you some breakfast. It's getting cold."

I let out a low groan, pulling the covers over my head. I was so not ready to be pulled out of that dream. I felt the bed to make sure that I was alone, confirming that it was only a dream, and that he didn't stay. I slowly sat up, yawning loudly and stretching. Drake opened the doors and wheeled in a cart that was stockpiled with food. Eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, and a fruit tray filled the top shelf, with coffee, orange juice and milk on the second. I yawned again, rubbing my eyes.

"What did you do, clean out the kitchen," I asked, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and standing, heading to the bathroom to freshen up.

"Well, almost. I figured you'd be hungry since we didn't have dinner last night," he replied in a chipper voice, moving utensils around to prepare a plate for me. "I went into Manhattan last night, and Sophie, it was glorious. I was on Broadway most of the night, and you should see the musicals gracing the theaters there now."

As I listened to his voice, I smiled softly. He was talking in a way that the old Drake used to. I peeked out from the bathroom, wiping my face with a washcloth. "I thought you hated New York," I stated cautiously, leaning against the doorway. He turned to look at me, a smile gracing his face. I hadn't seen him smile like that in years. Quite frankly, it frightened me.

"I guess I've been away for long enough to forget that I did love it once. Give it time; I'm sure that something will happen in which I'll hate New York once again. Now, come and eat before it gets cold."

I threw the washcloth back into the sink and went back to the bed, sitting down and starting to eat. Drake was right about one thing; I was famished. I hadn't eaten since lunch on the flight from Paris. I poured myself a glass of orange juice and ate a piece of bacon, looking at Drake, who was eating a lot more and a lot faster than I was. "So, what's the damage?"

"What do you mean?"

"TMZ, the papers from this morning, and the Internet…how bad is it?"

"Well, TMZ isn't good. I watched the segment online early this morning. I'm so sorry about how I acted. They are going to take the video down, but the damage is already done. YouTube is also removing the original amateur video from their site. As for the papers, I haven't seen anything yet, but that doesn't mean that there isn't anything in there."

"Well, once I meet with Mr. Y, I'll be able to make an appropriate statement. However, I feel that I can handle business tomorrow. Today, I want to get reacquainted with New York and explore Phantasma."

"Well, you have fun with that. I have plans today."

"What are you doing today?"

"I'm going to go see my parents this afternoon. They're in the city for the week and they want to meet for lunch."

I smiled. "Please tell them that I said hello. I've missed them so much."

"You should give your parents a call. I'm sure that they'd like to hear from you."

I cringed at the thought. My parents and I hadn't spoken since I had left home ten years ago to attend Julliard. They didn't come to any of my performances, and they could have. They had the money; I believe that they didn't want to see me. I shook of the thought of the past, eating a little more. "If you have to head out, I'll understand. Don't let me keep you."

He smiled, coming over and kissing my forehead. "Have fun today, and seriously, call your parents. It's been long enough, don't you think?"

I just shrugged and continued to eat as he left, turning on the news on the TV that was in my room. I listened as I ate, hearing a commercial for Phantasma. I smiled a little, finished my breakfast and wheeling the cart back into the hallway. I returned to my room to get ready for the day, dressing in a comfortable sundress and flats, wearing my hair down, and putting on a light hint of make-up. I made sure I had my reliable Sharpie pen with me in my purse, knowing that I would be bombarded with fans asking for autographs throughout the day.

It had been hours since I left the hotel. I enjoyed a glorious day in New York City. I shopped at Barney's and Bergdorf's, had lunch a small street café, and signed so many autographs that I lost count. After dropping my bags off back at the hotel room, I finally made my way to Phantasma. It was early evening. The sky was beginning to change its hues from bright blue to oranges and pinks as the sun began to set. I hadn't set foot out of my cab when I turned my head and was greeted by Mr. Squelch, who bowed before me as the cab drove away. He looked completely different from when I saw him the day before. Instead of dressing in black, he was dressed in a bright red clown suit that was trimmed in shimmering gold. Besides the suit being red, it was also darned with gold diamonds down the sleeves and there was also a slight hint of black in his costume. When he rose again, I could see that he had a small amount of clown make-up; A blue eye on the right side of his face, as well as a diamond, accented eyebrows and a slight red tint to his lips.

"How did you I was coming? I didn't send word with Mr. Y," I said, adjusting my purse on my shoulder as I looked up at him.

"He had a feeling that you would be coming by today. Unfortunately, he is not here. He would like me to show you around, if you're up for it."

"Actually, I did want to walk around here this evening. I especially want to see the concert hall. Where is Mr. Y?"

"He took a personal day," he said, offering me his arm. I took it, and we began to walk into the park. "He regrets that he couldn't be here himself to show you around. I'll tell you what; I'll give you only the basics, plus the concert hall, and I'll let him show you the rest. Deal?"

I smiled, patting him on the hand. "Deal."

As we began to walk, Mr. Squelch pointed out various piers and docks that lined the park. He allowed a few people to receive autographs from me, and then we moved on. There were various games and vendors, magicians, clowns, jugglers, everything that a theme park needed. However, this was Coney Island. I knew that there had to be freaks somewhere. After all, this was a sideshow based theme park. The park itself was glorious, and I drank it all in. Even if I didn't see any of the freaks, I was completely content. I was home.

We came to the concert hall, which was closed off to the public. We stopped just outside of it and I took in the surroundings. My arm unwrapped itself from Squelch's as I slowly moved forward, stopping after a few feet. I suddenly felt like my soul was literally pulled from my body and I wasn't there. As I looked at the concert hall, I took in the details of the outside of it, my hands slowly moving up to my mouth. The concert hall was a complete replica of the outside of the Opera Populaire. The statues on the roof were perfect down to every last detail, along with the gold trim along the edge of the roof and the dramatic faces representing the emotions of the theater. My eyes traveled downward, taking in the details of the building's design, tears coming to my eyes. Everything was perfect, even down to the multiple French doors that allowed people to go inside. I didn't wait for Squelch; before I knew it I found myself running up the façade and throwing open a pair of the French doors and going inside.

A small gasp left my body as I stood in the beautifully lit concert hall, my fingers still lightly placed over my mouth. I was staring at the Grand Staircase, and its statues and candelabras that accompanied it. I slowly walked forward, my heart beating out of my chest as I fought back the tears that were burning the back of my eyes. He had built it; a complete replica of the entire opera house. Was it specifically for me? Or was I dreaming? I found myself halfway up the staircase when I stopped, looking behind me to find Squelch. He was keeping his distance, leaving me to my thoughts and discoveries. I quickly turned my head back away from him, making sure that my eyes weren't watering and regaining my composure.

"I apologize, Mr. Squelch," I said softly, my voice echoing throughout the empty halls, still not facing him. "I shouldn't have run away from you, and I'm sure that I shouldn't be in here. Maybe it's time for me to go."

"Nonsense, Miss Day," he replied, walking forward and returning to my side, wrapping my arm with his once more. "Mr. Y asked me to show you around and that includes the concert hall. You still have yet to see the grand foyer and the amphitheater. Come on. I promise it will be all right."

He escorted me into the amphitheater, which was dimly lit with the exception of the lights on the stage. We walked slowly, which I knew was to build up anticipation upon seeing the actual theater. As we walked, I heard the low hum of chatter and some light singing, but I had yet to see any people. I looked up at Squelch, stopping for a moment before we stepped fully into the theater.

"Mr. Squelch, is there a rehearsal today," I asked, not wanting to interrupt the rehearsal.

"Yes, that's why I'm escorting you in. The stage manager is a…well, let's just say that she's a piece of work. Just a quick look at the amphitheater, then we have to go, okay?"

"Completely understandable," I said as we started to walk again. "I would hate to stop a…"

My words left my body as I came into full view of the amphitheater. It was built the same way as the opera house was; complete with the opera boxes with gold plating and designs, the theater was absolutely perfect. My back was turned completely to the stage as I looked up to the ceiling and I released a loud gasp that stopped everyone's conversations and singing dead. The ceiling was complete with a reproduction of the original ceiling art and chandelier from the Opera Populaire. It was completely perfect. The only thing that brought me out of my trance was a familiar sharp voice that I knew all too well.

"Mr. Squelch, you have interrupted my rehearsal to bring a date in here? Aren't you supposed to be working?"

I swallowed a hard lump of shock in my throat as I slowly turned around and saw Isabella Girard, Emma's mother and the meanest shark in all of New York. She hadn't changed over the past ten years; she still dressed the same and wore her hair the same way. When she saw me, she straightened up and gave me a snide look, looking down at me as she had always done before.

"Well, how lovely to fit us into your incredibly busy schedule, Miss Day, but you have interrupted my rehearsal. Don't you realize that you'll have plenty of time for that when you sign your contract and begin working here later this summer? I'm just curious; how long do you plan on staring at the ceiling? Because I'm sure that we would all like to get back to work."

As I took of a couple of steps back, another voice came from backstage. A chipper voice that made me smile and feel more at ease as she responded to Isabella's comments.

"Is that any way to talk to someone that you haven't seen in ten years, Mother," Emma asked as she stepped onto the stage, walking down the stairs and towards me. She only smiled as she embraced me in a very tight and greeting hug, pulling back and smiling at me. "You look incredibly gorgeous, Sophie. Paris has definitely been good to you. How are you?"

I smiled comfortingly, looking her over. She looked fantastic. Her hair was longer and she was still built the same way, but I could tell she had been working out a lot more. "I'm great; Emma, but I won't keep you. I know you're busy. I think it would be best if I just go."

"Oh, come on, don't run off."

"Emma….really, it's okay. I'll just see you later," I said, backing up towards Squelch, who put my arm back with his. "I'll just go."

"Well, before you go, please say you'll come to one of my shows tomorrow night. And we'll have dinner afterwards and play catch up."

I smiled. "Of course we'll have dinner. I'll see you tomorrow night."

She waved at me as we departed the theater and I cringed as we left. "Squelch, I am so sorry that you have that atrocious woman as your stage manager. I can only imagine what she's going to be like with me."

"Miss Day, believe me, I'm sure that Mr. Y will not allow that to happen to you. I'm sure that you two can work something out."

"Yes, I suppose you're right."

He escorted me back through the park. Just before the gate, Fleck joined us and beckoned Squelch away. I hailed a cab and returned to the hotel. I sighed heavily in the cab, dreading the thought of working with Emma's mother. I knew that she hated me because I wasn't good enough to be friends with her daughter, let alone socialize with her. This was going to be a long summer if we didn't reach some common ground.


	10. Dreams of Long Ago

Erik's Dream

I had returned to my office after seeing Christine for the first time in ten years at her and Raoul's hotel room. I quietly shut the door behind me and lit a candle to find my way in the dark. My mind was on the little boy that was with Christine in her hotel room, has he been from the time that I descended from the balcony before Raoul returned. His name was Gustave, and he was a beautiful little boy. However, there was something about this little boy that I couldn't quite put my finger on. I sat at my desk and was in the process of taking of my mask when I heard a soft moan cutting through the darkness. I quickly lit the lamp that sat at my desk, turning the knob for more light. I turned around in my chair, breathing a slight sigh of relief. It was Meg.

Meg was dressed in her usual gray dress, which she always wore after her performances or rehearsals, sound asleep on the couch. Her long blond hair was down, some of it draping over her shoulder and across her chest. Over the years, I had noticed that Meg had grown into a very beautiful young woman, and she was a very graceful dancer with a good voice. It was a wonder to me that she wasn't married yet. I slowly stood up from my desk and walked to the couch, bending down and placing my gloved hand on her shoulder.

"Meg," I whispered gently, lightly shaking her to get her to wake up. "Meg, wake up." I watched as she slowly stirred and opened her eyes. He green eyes glistened in the candlelight as she smiled up at me, lying still for a few moments, rubbing her eyes.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were ever going to come back," she spoke in a soft, strained voice. Performing five times a day was difficult for her, but she never complained. She was always ready to resume her work the next day and rehearse on her days off. Her work ethic was one of things that I admired about her. Perhaps I should have told her that more.

"What are you doing here," I asked gently, looking at her with a soft gaze.

"I was going to model some of the new costumes that I designed for the new number," she replied as she slowly sat up, her face close to mine. "I thought that you might like to see them."

"Meg, I have told you before that it doesn't matter what you wear. The audiences will love you no matter what. Whatever you feel is best for you is best for your performances. You do not need my constant approval."

"Well, you see," she said quietly, moving even closer, our noses only six inches apart. I could smell the remnants of wine on her breath. "The costumes are rather revealing, and should really be seen in private. No one else knows about them. You would be the first to know and first to see them."

I moved back slightly, putting my hand up. She immediately halted her advances, looking at me with complete innocence, even though her words spoke differently. "Not while you're like this. You're tired. It would be wrong for this to happen at this moment. Come. I'll walk you to your room." I lifted my hand to her and she took it slowly. I helped her to stand and she leaned against me for support. I wrapped my arm around her small frame and held the lamp with my free hand so I could see to walk down the dark corridors of the building. We began to walk very slowly so I was able to support her weight. We stepped out of my office and turned to the left, walking together in the darkness.

"Master," she whispered to me as to not wake anyone else, gripping onto my long coat in order to stay with me through the darkness.

"Yes, Meg?"

"Do you forgive me?"

"Forgive you? For what?"

"For how I acted towards you a few minutes ago in your office. It wasn't professional of me, and I apologize. Do you forgive me?"

"Meg, you're still so innocent in the ways of this world. Of course, I forgive you. I just want you to know that you shouldn't give yourself to me in order to feel something from someone. You should save yourself for someone you love."

"Yes, Master. I know."

We came to her room and I opened the door for her, helping her inside. She immediately fell upon her bed, and went back to sleep. I kissed her hand softly before I placed it on the bed, shutting the door quietly behind me. I walked along the dark corridors of the building on my way back to my office. I began to grow nostalgic for the old Opera Populaire, walking along the catwalks and catacombs during the night. I closed and locked the door to my office, turning the lamp down to lie on the couch, taking my mask off.

My mind traveled to Christine again as I rested my head against the pillow that lay upon the couch. I suppose that I was a little harsh with threatening her son's life in order to get her to perform with me instead of Hammerstein. All I wanted was for her to be with me again, even if she was only going to be there for one song. I sighed heavily, taking my mask off slowly and touching the scars that lay upon my face. It was a wonder to me how someone like her could have given me a kiss. The same kiss that stayed with me through the past ten years. That small act of kindness and love showed me that I could be loved and that I was loved. She was able to look past this deformity that God had cursed me with. Would anyone else be able to look past it as well? We were able to throw out the traditions of the time and give ourselves to one another. Our passions, our emotions, everything hit us like waves crashing on the sand. I felt immense guilt with leaving her, but I knew that she would be happier with Raoul. Now, she has a family of her own. Who am I to break that apart? I don't know when I finally drifted off, but as I did, I watched the summer sun arise in the distance. To me, it was a sign of a dawning of a not only a new day, but a new life as well.

Sophia's Dream

Raoul had returned to the hotel room just after Erik had disappeared. He said that Hammerstein never showed up, which I knew was a ruse by Erik to get me alone. I came in from the balcony and closed the door. In my hands, I carried the music that Erik had given to me before he left. I sighed softly, looking up at Raoul. He was pouring himself another drink, sitting down in the chair where I was only a few minutes ago. He looked up at me, taking a gulp of the drink after he swirled the liquid around in his glass.

"What is it," he asked with an annoyed tone to his voice. "Shouldn't you be in bed? And where's Gustave?"

"Gustave is in bed, and I couldn't sleep. I was waiting for you to get back."

He scoffed, taking another drink. "Why do you care? You've never loved me fully anyway. Why should it matter to you if I come home or not?"

"How could you say something so hurtful to me, Raoul? You know that I love you, and that I always have."

"Oh, is that so? You see, Christine, I don't believe you." He got up for the chair, stumbling across the room to get himself another drink. "We've been married for ten years, and you still haven't admitted to me where you were the night before our wedding."

"I told you that I was getting cold feet and that I needed some space," I said cautiously, moving to the opposite side of the room while I watched him. "I was just nervous about the wedding. What if I hadn't come home at all? Would you have come looking for me?"

He laughed cynically, taking a drink. "Christine, don't fool yourself. I probably would have found another wife eventually. A wife who would have known her place in this world, an obedient wife who would be by my side no matter what."

I cut across the room, holding the skirt of my dress with one hand and the music with the other. "I'm still by your side, and you're completely broke. Who's to say that a wife that would be better than me in your eyes would be able to do that?"

"You don't need to remind me that we have no money, Christine! I'm aware of that on my own."

"You could have fooled me," I replied harshly, shutting the bedroom doors behind me. I locked them so he wouldn't get in until I felt like it. I sat on the bed, watched the door, and waited. Any minute now, Raoul would be coming to pound on the door to be let in for bed or to punish me for what I had said to him. As I waited, I opened the music folder and began to look at the music. I quietly hummed the melody, my heart stopping as I read the lyrics.

Love never dies

Love will continue…

I immediately closed the folder, placing it beside me on the bed, breathing softly. After all of this time, after what we had shared together, Erik still loved me. If he still loved me, why was he doing this? What was the point of all of this façade that he was leading? I heard the departing footfalls of Raoul and the hotel door closing again. I stood up and unlocked the door to the bedroom, and proceeded to get ready for bed. As I did so, I thought back to the times that Erik and I had shared and the times that we had spent together until that last night. I turned and looked towards the door to Gustave's room. If Erik had only known that he left me with a son from that night, would things have been different? Erik and I would be hiding out and living our lives quietly while we raised Gustave together. I would have been shunned throughout the community for giving myself to someone before I was married, and there would always be a chance that Erik would have been arrested and executed for the murders that he committed back in Paris. I decided not to dwell on it, and lay down for the evening. I closed my eyes and drifted back into the darkness of a deep sleep.


	11. A Night at Phantasma

**Sophia's POV  
** **2:00pm**  
The next morning, I woke up feeling oddly refreshed, even though the dream I had during the night made me feel very uneasy. Drake was a mirror image of Raoul; same moods, same mannerisms, but different vices of choice. I stayed at the hotel for the majority of the day, waiting for Drake to return. I hadn't seen him since yesterday morning when he left to see his parents. I watched mindless television as the hours passed, seeing advertisements for Phantasma every now and then. As I was having lunch, there was a knock at my door. I stood up from the table, walked across the room, and peeked through the peephole. On the other side, I saw Dr. Gangle and Fleck standing there, both dressed in their usual black attire. I smiled lightly, unlocking and opening the door.

"Good afternoon, Miss Day," Gangle greeted me with a tip of his hat and a slight bow. "May we come in?"

"Of course," I replied lightly, stepping aside to let them in. Fleck stepped in first, and she was followed by Gangle. I shut the door behind them, stepping to the side. "Is everything all right?"

"Oh yes, everything is fine, Miss Day," Fleck replied as Gangle took an envelope out of his jacket pocket. "We just came to deliver your complimentary tickets from Miss Emma for tonight."

"Thank you," I said, taking the envelope from Gangle as he handed it to me.

"She left you directions to the house inside. You and a guest will attend the 9:00pm show, which usually lasts about thirty to forty-five minutes. You are to be at the house at 10:00pm, where dinner will be served and you can get reacquainted with one another."

"I really appreciate you guys bringing these tickets over. You didn't have to do that."

"It was our pleasure, Miss Day," Gangle said in a sweet manner, tipping his hat and bowing again. However, the two from the trio wouldn't be able to leave fast enough. I looked up as the door opened and Drake came stumbling in. I could tell that he had been out all night, and not only had he been drinking but he had also had more than one fix. He looked up as he held onto the door for balance. He had that look in his eyes. He was looking for a fight. I planted my feet as Gangle and Fleck straightened up, stiffening slightly as he slammed the door.

"Well, look who's here," he said with a slight slur, stumbling across the room to head to his bedroom to sleep off his state. "It's the freaks. Do they plan on staying for dinner?"

"Drake, knock it off," I replied, turning my attention back to Gangle and Fleck. "I apologize for his state. He's not well."

"That's obvious," Gangle replied as Drake bumped his arm into the door frame to his room. He turned his attention back to me, quietly whispering. "Miss Day, if you would like us to stay until he's under control, we would be happy to oblige."

"That won't be necessary, Gangle. I can handle him. You two go on. I'm sure that you have performances to get ready for."

"But Miss Day," Fleck whispered pleadingly, "surely you must understand that Mr. Y would want us to protect you. In this state, your manager would be very hard to calm and it doesn't seem like he's going to calm down any time soon."

"Look, you two, I appreciate your concern, but trust me when I say that I can handle him. What you have just seen is about as bad as it gets. I'll be fine." I walked over to the door and opened it. "I'll see you two this evening."

Gangle and Fleck finally took the hint and nodded, walking towards the door. As they left, Gangle tipped his hat once more with a bow and left. As I closed the door, Drake came out of his room, wearing only a pair of sweatpants and no shirt. The firm and slightly muscular body that he once had so many years ago was gone now. He was scrawny and you could see the evidence of that the heroin had done to him. There were fresh track marks on his arms, fading bruises from the needle puncturing his arm, and you could see a slight hint of his ribs from not eating. The mere sight of him nearly made me retch, but I held my own as he attempted to walk to the kitchen. I stepped in front of him to make him stop, turning him back around towards the bedroom.

"And what do you think you're doing, socializing with them while I'm not here," he asked as I forced him to sit down on the bed, looking through his closet for something appropriate to wear to the show tonight.

"I wasn't socializing. They came by to drop off tickets to a performance tonight at Phantasma."

"Oh, really? And who, may I ask, is the headliner?"

"Emma," I replied, getting a pair of dress slacks and a buttoned down shirt for him to wear, hanging it on the bathroom door. He guffawed, rolling around on the bed.

"Emma Girard, your mousy little roommate from Julliard," he asked between breaths, then resumed laughing.

"It's not funny, Drake. I'm proud of her! She's finally making a name for herself."

"You mean that she's sleeping with someone to make a name for herself."

My face went rigid for a moment at the thought of Emma sleeping with Erik in order to have the headlining performance at Phantasma. I regained myself, pushing the thought out of my mind, turning to face him again. "I don't know why you think that. She's a good person, and she can make her own way. Now, you're going to sleep off your bender and be ready to go by 8pm this evening. The show's at 9." I walked over to the windows and closed the blinds and curtains before leaving his room and shutting the bedroom door. I knew that Emma was always tempted to sleep with men to get ahead with her career, but I also knew she would rather take a smaller part or no part at all to stoop to that level. I resumed eating my lunch, pushing all of the thoughts out of my mind while I watched television.

**Erik's POV  
** **Same time**  
As I descended the stairs after checking on Christine while she was playing in her room, I came into the kitchen to get a quick bite to eat for lunch. As I drew closer, I could hear Emma singing and smell something delicious that was baking in the oven. I smiled as I came in, listening to her and checking the oven. Inside was a roast with the vegetables and it was nearly done. I looked over as she was tossing a salad that looked big enough to feed an army. I lifted my eyebrow, crossing my arms as I leaned against the counter, watching her.

"Okay, what's going on Emma," I asked her as she placed the salad in the fridge, where I saw two large bottles of wine chilling in the fridge. This could only mean that we were expecting company for dinner after her shows in the evening.

"Whatever do you mean," she asked in a light manner with a smile, walking over and getting some plates out to set the table with.

"You're cooking a roast that's way too big for the three of us, there's two bottles of wine in the fridge, and I'm sure that if there's a salad there's probably a dessert hidden somewhere. So, what time can we expect your mother tonight?"

"It's not my mother who's coming over," she replied simply while she still smiled, handing me a bottle of water.

"Well, who then if not your mother," I asked as I took a drink of water from the bottle.

"Sophie."

That was the reply that I did not expect. Out of shock, water came out of my mouth and all over the counter. I coughed as I grabbed the towel and cleaned up my mess, setting my bottle of water down on the counter. My hands rested on the sides of it as I stared at her. Her back was to me, but I could tell that she was wearing a very smug smirk. "Emma, just to clarify what you just said, you invited Sophia here for dinner tonight?"

"Yes," she replied as she walked over to the oven, opening it and taking the roast out, turning the oven off. "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"No, no, not at all…it's just that…I haven't told her that we're married."

"Oh, dear," she said, feigning shock as she turned around to face me. "I sure hope this doesn't make things awkward at dinner tonight. I'm sure that she's waiting to jump all over you again."

"Emma, you did this on purpose. You want to rub this into her face, don't you?"

"Now, come on, Erik," she said, walking up to me, taking my hand. I pulled it away, my anger showing slightly as she continued. "You know that I'm not like that. I haven't seen her for years, and I invited her over to catch up, have dinner, and hopefully become friends with her again. I have to go. Call's in an hour." She kissed me on the cheek, then gave me instructions with the food and what I needed to do with it. I knew that this dinner was going to be a disaster. A disaster beyond all of my imagination.

**Sophia's POV  
** **9:00pm**  
As Drake and I walked into the theater, we quickly found our seats, which were right in the front row. I smiled at the other people in the row, bidding them a 'good evening' as we passed. They all looked star-struck as I walked to my seat and sat down, pulling Drake down into his seat. He was zoned into this phone throughout the entire time until I pulled it out of his hand and stuffed it in my purse. He shot a glare at me, trying to get his phone back as I pulled my purse away from him.

"You are not allowed to be on your phone until we leave Emma's house this evening," I said sternly as I put the purse between me and the seat. "I will not have you embarrass me tonight."

As the lights went dark, I saw that he rolled his eyes. I leaned back in my seat, watching the stage as the trio came out. They were all wearing red, black, and gold costumes; Squelch was in his usual red clown suit, Fleck was in a tutu piece with a hat that was shaped as horns (one black, the other red and white) upon her head, and Gangle was wearing a ringmaster's costume, darned with a coat with long tails and incredible gold stitching on the entire ensemble.

"Mr. Y welcomes you to Phantasma," the trio said together as they moved about the stage in an acrobatic style, both of the men supporting Fleck as they held her up.

"Featuring Dr. Gangle, Master of Ceremonies," Gangle said as he took of his hat, handing it to fleck, revealing the tall orange spike that was his hair. I merely grinned, holding my hand to my face as I watched.

"And Miss Fleck, Aerialist Extraordinaire," Fleck continued as she leaned against Gangle, handing his top hat to Squelch.

"And the amazing Squelch, the world's strongest man," Squelch completed, going into a strong man pose.

"And, direct from our own little isle of Manhattan…"

"It's Coney Island's Ooh-La-La Girl…"

"Miss Emma Girard!"

The curtain opened as the trio departed the stage, revealing Emma at the center, wearing a vibrant pink costume and heels. She looked positively gorgeous. She opened her hands which were over her face as she began to sing. As she sang she was joined on stage with other singers and dancers, but she was in the center of it all. It was just how she always wanted it to be.

_Welcome each and every one,_  
 _To our festival of fun_  
 _Something notable and new!_  
 _We bring glamour from afar_  
 _Plus a touch of the bizarre  
_ _And it's only for you!_

_See the wonders of our age_  
 _All assembled on our stage_  
 _Too fantastic to be true!_  
 _What sensation-seekers seek!_  
 _Every kind of living freak!  
_ _And it's only for you!_

After the performance, I cheered and applauded the entire cast. As the audience began to depart, I looked down at Drake, who had nodded off. I kicked his foot and he jerked awake, looking up at me.

"You are the rudest, most self-centered man that I have ever met on this planet," I whispered angrily, yanking him up out of the chair. "You slept through the whole thing?"

"Miss Day?" Gangle said he came up to me, his hands behind his back.

"Yes," I responded through gritted teeth, then caught myself when I realized who I was talking to. "Oh, Gangle, I am so sorry."

"No need for apologies, Miss Day. I was just going to ask you if you have found the house were Emma is staying yet."

"We saw it on our way in. It's the big mansion right inside the park, right?"

"That's correct, Miss Day. Would you like me to escort the two of you?"

"No, I'm sure that we can find our own way. Thank you, Gangle."

"My pleasure, Miss Day. You two have an enjoyable evening," he said with a slight bow before departing. I turned my attention back to Drake, who was standing up and trying to leave without me. I followed him, grabbing him by the arm of his shirt.

"You did a very nice job of embarrassing yourself back there. I'm sure that everyone in our row saw you sleeping."

"The same could be said for you, Miss Temper," he replied as he looked around the theater. "Wow, this place looks familiar."

"It's a complete replica of the Opera Populaire," I replied as we walked out of the theater and down the Grand Staircase. "You would have noticed it if you weren't sucked into your phone for the first half of the evening."

He stopped, taking a moment to look around, then looking at me. "Sophie," he whispered in a stern tone. "Who is Mr. Y?"

I stepped back from him, continuing to walk down the stairs, choosing not to answer him. He followed in tow, asking me a second time, but I did not reply. We found our way through the crowds and to the house that was in the middle of the park. I opened the gate and walked inside the yard, closing the gate behind me as soon as Drake walked in. "I'm not sure if I'm ready for this."

"Then why did you agree to it," he asked, walking up the sidewalk with me.

"Because I miss the friendship that we shared. I would give anything to be friends with her again. I just hope that she hasn't changed too much."

"I just hope that this dinner goes smoothly for you and her," he said as he rang the doorbell. "I just don't know why I'm along for the ride."

"Because she said that I could bring a guest and you are my manager. You never know; we could meet Mr. Y tonight."

"Who is it," asked a voice on the other side of the door.

"It's Sophia Day and her manager, Drake Chagney."

The door slowly opened and revealed who was on the other side. My breath left my body as Drake let out a small gasp, blinking dumbly.

"M-Monsieur Destler? You live here?"

"Oh, my God…"

"Oh, Erik, darling don't be rude," Emma said as she descended the stairs, coming over to join us. "Come in, come in! I see you're already acquainted with my husband."

I struggled to breathe, my feet not moving as those words were spoken. Instead, my knees buckled and I felt myself going. As I collapsed, I felt his strong arms grab me, pulling me to him as my consciousness faded.


	12. The Dinner

**Sophia's POV  
** **10:00pm**  
It wasn't long after I fainted on the porch that I came to as Erik was carrying me inside the house. I blinked once, and looked up as he looked down at me. I pushed myself out of his arms and landed on my feet, regaining myself. He moved forward to see if I was all right, but I stepped away from him, giving him a look of betrayal as I did so. He stopped, lowering his hand.

"I apologize," I said as I walked towards Emma, wrapping my arms around her. "I suppose that I'm still feeling the jet lag from the flight." She hugged me back, leading me to the dining room. "Is there wine?"

"I got your favorite," she replied with a smile, handing me a glass after pouring wine into it. I smiled as I took it, taking a drink as we all sat down to dinner. "Well, I know that we need no introductions since we all know each other," she said as she served us with some salad to start with. "We need to get all caught up with one another."

"Oh, yes, we do," Drake replied, taking a sip of the wine, shooting a look at me before doing the same to Erik. "Why don't we start with who Mr. Y is? Because I'm dying to know."

Erik released a sigh, pouring some wine for himself as he sat down, ironically across from me. "You don't need to ask that anymore, Drake. You're looking at Mr. Y."

"Well, well, well," Drake said as he looked at me. I avoided eye contact, downing the wine and pouring myself some more. "Isn't that convenient? A former lover and teacher is now your boss. How quaint."

"Don't read too much into it, Drake," Erik said sternly, taking Emma's hand once she had sat down and began to eat her salad. "This is strictly business and we haven't even agreed on a contract yet."

"Well, I surely hope that Sophie still considers performing at Phantasma even with you as her boss. You will still consider it, won't you, Sophie?"

I took a big drink of the wine, after I finished a bite of my salad. "I'm still considering it, Emma. It also depends on the terms and conditions of the contract, and if all four of us will be able to work together."

"Well, I don't believe that there will be any problems with it. After all, we've all known each other for quite some time, some of us longer than others. We all know everything about each other, so there shouldn't be any room for secrets. Right, Erik?"

He only nodded as we ate. The conversation stopped for a few moments as we ate the first course and Emma went in to get the second part of the dinner. By this time, I was on my third glass of wine and I was beginning to feel it. I could feel Erik's eyes on me as I drank, which he quickly turned away when Emma reappeared with the main course, serving us all before sitting back down and starting to eat. I ate slowly, drinking more than what I was eating. Drake seemed to notice, so he nudged me once to hint to me to slow down. I ignored him, downing the rest of my third glass, and pouring my fourth.

"Sophie," Erik spoke up as he watched me, putting his fork down. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, Erik, I am just peachy," I said with a slight annoyance to my voice, sipping at my wine once more. "In fact, I would appreciate it if you would stop staring at me."

"Sophia, stop," Drake said in a hushed voice. "We are their guests."

"No, Drake. It's quite all right. I'm sure that she has reasons to be upset."

"Who said I'm upset?"

"Well, even though the wine is sweet, you seem to have gone sour."

"Sophie," Emma interjected to smooth things over, moving the bottle of wine away from me. "How was Paris? You were there for over three years. Did you enjoy it?"

"Oh, Emma," I said softly, sipping at the wine. "Paris was good to me, and yes, I did enjoy it. However, I missed New York. This is my home. This is where I belong."

She smiled at me, sipping at her own wine, and taking another bite of her roast. "That's good. So how long have you and Drake been married?"

Erik coughed lightly as Emma asked this question, taking a drink of his wine. Drake had his head in his hand as I just laughed, taking another drink of mine. "Emma, Drake and I aren't married. We are strictly a business relationship anymore. That's all."

"Oh, dear, I'm sorry. Open mouth, insert foot Emma."

"It's all right, dear. It was an honest mistake."

She smiled again, but her smile faded as I grabbed the bottle of wine, using the last of it to refill my glass, setting it down on the table again. "Sophie, maybe you should slow down a little. The wine might affect your jet lag even more."

"If you recall, Emma, I can handle my wine just fine. We had plenty when we were roommates together, remember?"

She smiled lightly as she remembered when we were once roommates back in New York when we were attending Julliard together, and the fun we had while we were living together. Erik just looked at me as he finished his food, lifting an eyebrow. I noticed the look, but I didn't say anything. "Well, Sophie," Emma continued, as she finished her food. "Did you meet anyone special while you were living in Paris?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you lived there for three years. Surely, you must have met someone who stole your heart while you were there."

"Emma, you are kidding yourself," Drake interjected as he finished his food. "Sophie is still a virgin."

"Drake!"

"Oh, Jesus," Erik muttered, downing the rest of his wine, getting the new bottle and opening it.

"Mommy?"

The conversation came to an immediate halt as the small voice cut through the entire room. Emma and Erik turned around and looked at the little girl who was standing in the door way in her nightgown, rubbing her eyes. I stood up to get a better look at the little girl, stumbling slightly, catching myself on Drake's chair. I put my hand over my mouth, gasping quietly. It was the same little girl from my dream. She had long, curly dark hair and was fair skinned. I felt physically sick, but I held it together. I slowly dropped my hand, watching as Emma got up, going to her and picking her up.

"Christine, what are you doing up," she asked, giving her a comforting hug. "Daddy tucked you in over an hour ago."

"I came down for a glass of water and I had a bad dream," she replied, looking at Emma before looking at me, smiling lightly. "Is that really her?"

"Emma, perhaps this isn't the best time to -"

"Hello," I said softly, walking around the table and over to them, holding my hand out to the little girl. "My name is Sophie. What's your name?"

"My name is Christine," she replied, taking my hand and shaking it lightly. As she shook my hand, I felt an instant connection to her. It was almost eerie. "Are you really Sophia Day? The singer?"

"Well, I try to be," I said with a smile and she smiled back, hiding herself away. "She's adorable," I said to Emma.

"Thank you. I'm going to take her up and make sure she gets settled back in. Erik, would you mind clearing off the table and get the dessert?"

"Sure," he said, giving Christine a kiss on the cheek, then Emma as they went upstairs. I started to help clear off the table, taking the dirty dishes and piling them up. "Sophie, what are you doing? You're a guest."

"I'm helping clean up. I would feel bad if I didn't at least help a little." I took the dishes into the kitchen and placed them gently into the sink. I placed my hand on my head, trying to hold back my emotions about everything that had occurred tonight. It didn't help that the room was spinning either. Once I thought I was calm, I turned to head back out into the dining room. However, Erik was standing there, watching me. My walls crumbled, and my emotions flooded.

"How could it have slipped your mind to tell me that Emma was the person that you are married to," I asked through gritted teeth, grabbing a wooden spoon that was sitting by the sink.

"I was planning on it. There just wasn't any time. You have to understand, Sophie, everything was happening so fast and -"

"And what?! You would expect me to forgive you? Just like that? She was my best friend, and you married her! And had a child with her! How could you do this to me?! I fucking hate you!" I screamed as I threw the wooden spoon at him. However, my aim wasn't very good. It missed him, and before I knew it, he had his hands on my arms, restraining me as I tried to hit him.

"Will you get control of yourself?! I don't want Emma to see you like this. Now, stop it, Sophia! Act like an adult!"

"Get off of me!" I yelled, pushing him away from me. "You are not the boss of me! You will not tell me how to act!"

"You're in my house, and you're my guest. I will tell you how you should act. You're embarrassing yourself. Straighten up and act like an adult rather than a drunken diva, which is what you are right now."

"Well, I'm done being your guest," I said as I left the kitchen, snapping at Drake to get up so we could go. I heard Emma come running down the stairs, a look of shock on her face.

"Sophie, where are you going? Is everything okay?"

"Emma, thank you for a lovely dinner and evening, but I believe that I've had my fill for the night. It's time for me to go."

"But you haven't had dessert yet. I would hate for you to leave without having at least a little bit more to eat."

"Thank you, but no," I said as I headed towards the door. "I'm sure I'll see you around."

"Well, all right," she said, giving me a hug before opening the door for Drake and me. "You be careful going home, okay?"

"I will. We'll get a cab at the park entrance."

"Nonsense," Erik said, coming over and wrapping an arm around Emma's waist. "Gangle is waiting for you with a car at the entrance. He'll take you back to the hotel."

"Well, thank you very fucking much. Always looking after where he shouldn't be looking." I stomped off, heading towards the park entrance with Drake in tow.

"Well, that went well," Drake said with a smug smirk as he followed me.

"Shut up."

"I'm just saying that it went well. You held your own together really well up until the end there."

"Leave it be, Drake."

"Tell me," he said as we came to the park entrance, grabbing ahold of my arm and stopping me, pulling me towards him. "How long had you known that he was Mr. Y?"

"Since the night we arrived. He came to see me after you stormed out, and I wish I would have told him to stay so he could have seen what an awesome manager and heroin addict that you are!"

Before I knew it, Drake's hand came across my face with an open hand slap. The momentum of the slap knocked me to the ground, the hard wood of the pier making an old sound as my body landed against it. Gangle saw the slap, hopping over the turnstiles and grabbing him by the collar of shirt, pulling him close to his face. "You can find your own back to the hotel," he said in a low whisper, pushing Drake away. He made sure Drake had started walking away before turning his attention towards me, helping me off the ground. "Are you all right, Miss Day?" I put my hand to my cheek, taking ahold of Gangle's hand as he helped me up.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you, Gangle."

He helped me to the car and put me inside, taking me to the hotel after handing me a bag of ice to put on my cheek.

**Erik's POV**  
Right after the two left, I watched them walk down the sidewalk and through the park to get to the entrance. I turned and looked at Emma, who was watching also. She had a hand to her cheek, shaking her head.

"Oh, dear," she said, moving to head inside. "I sure hope that she's not too upset over what happened. She seemed like she was really upset."

"Emma, you planned this on purpose," I said as I followed her after shutting the door. "You should have just let me tell her when I felt the time was right. It would have been better that way."

"Erik, she would have found out on her own sooner or later. Better that she found out now than later after you make out with her and completely crush any hope that she would have at the thought of you two ever being together again."

I turned my head away slightly as her words slightly stung me, turning back to look at her again after a moment. "Emma, you know that I would never cheat on you."

"Bullshit. I saw the way you were looking at her tonight. You were hoping for a moment alone with her, and when you got that moment, it blew up in your face. I'm sure that she won't be going after you again, now that she sees that we're married."

I merely shook my head, heading towards the door. "I'm going to the office."

"Oh, Erik, you are such a pathetic excuse for a man, chasing after a woman that will never have you again! Go on! Run away to your office to work on your music, just like you always do!"

I slammed the door shut and walked down the sidewalk, heading towards the theater. As I walked alone in the darkness, my phone went off for Gangle's ringtone. I took my phone out of my pocket, and read the text.

_Just dropped Sophia off at her hotel, completely drunk and without Drake. He slapped her just before the entrance. I sent him off to walk back to the hotel._

As I read the text, I began to fume, gripping my phone. I unlocked it, opening the message and replying to it.

_Where is he now?_

I walked up the Grand Staircase of the theater, through the Grand Foyer and up to my office, which was left unlocked. I opened the door, closed it and locked it, taking off my jacket as I sat at my desk, beginning to work on paperwork. Gangle's ringtone came once again, and I read the text on the phone.

_No clue. Walked in the opposite direction of the hotel. Sophia is fine and safe in her room._

I hit 'reply,' and typed another message.

_Come on back and get some rest. Thank you for taking her back._

I sent the message, placing my phone on my desk afterward. I held my head in my hands, trying to figure out a way to get Sophia to come back to me. After everything that happened tonight, I knew that she wouldn't speak to me until she was ready to speak to me. Unless I requested her presence to negotiate her contract. I began to formulate a plan, searching through the number of incomplete songs, finding one that I had been working on for quite some time. The music was there, but the lyrics were not. It was perfect. It would make her come back to me.

I needed her to come back to me.


	13. Once Upon Another Time

**Sophia's and Erik's Dream  
** **Sophia's POV**  
As we talked about our past, he held me to him, afraid to let me go. He gently caressed my cheek and I pulled away, moving to the chair once more as he sat down at the piano. He continued with his words, not looking at me. From his voice, I could tell that he was ashamed.

**And when it was done**  
 **Before the sun could rise**  
 **Ashamed of what I was**  
 **Afraid to see your eyes**  
 **I stood while you slept**  
 **And whispered a goodbye**  
 **And slipped into the dark  
** **Beneath a moonless sky**

I hid my tears of anger as I turned toward him, screaming at him out of pure and unadulterated hatred, moving closer as I did so.

_And I loved you_  
 _Yes, I loved you_  
 _I'd had followed anywhere you led_  
 _I woke to swear my love  
_ _And found you had gone instead_

He turned towards me and embraced me at my waist, holding onto me tightly as placed my hands on his shoulders. Together, we agreed that we didn't regret what happened for it had happened and nothing could change it. He stood once more, looking down at me, cupping my chin in his hand.

"And now," he asked, his eyes almost hopeful for a positive response from me. I pulled away once more, my hand on the chair.

"How can you talk of now? For us…" I slowly turned to look at him once more before I finished my statement. "There is no now." I walked away from him, the train of the white gown that I was wearing gliding across the floor. I made my way onto the balcony, the cool air comforting to me as I stood to one side, looking out at the city. He had followed, just has he had before, moving to the opposite side of the balcony. I sighed softly, looking at him.

_Once upon another time_  
 _Our story had only begun_  
 _You chose to turn the page_  
 _And I made choices too_   


_Once upon that other time_  
 _We did what we thought must be done_  
 _And now we have no choice  
_ _We do what we must do_

_We love, we live_  
 _We give what we can give  
_ _And take what little we deserve_

**Erik's POV  
** She sang these words to me, and I knew that they were true. But I still loved her so deeply that it nearly frightened me. Even after all of these years, I felt that she still carried some feelings for me as well. I watched as she turned away. I moved towards her, singing a few words of my own.

**Once upon another time**  
 **I knew how our story would end**  
 **And maybe I was wrong  
** **But now the moment's gone**

**Were it still that other time**  
 **I'd make time itself somehow bend**  
 **But now I'm not that strong  
** **And time keeps moving on**

__**We love, we live  
** _**We give what we can give  
** _ __**And take what little we deserve**

__**We love, we live  
** _**We give what we can give  
** _ __**And take what little we deserve**

As I moved to caress her face once more, she crossed away from me. I found myself away from her, now on the side that she had started on.

_**Once upon another time** _

I found it hard to breathe that this point, my hand resting over my heart as I slowly turned to her. My voice was sad and in need of her. God, how I loved her.

**Ten long years of yearning**  
 **Years of dreaming of this moment**  
 **When that miracle**  
 **That fearless instrument**  
 **Plays for me**  
 **Just fleeting me**  
 **Lays the ghost that tortures me  
** **Tortures me**

"Ah, Christine…"

She shook her head, completely backed up against the wall of the hotel now. "I know what Hammerstein is willing to pay you. I will double it for one night's work. Here, in my concert hall."

"No."

"Just one night, Christine. One song. That is all I ask."

"Why should I? For ten years, you made me believe that you were dead! And now, you lure us here and expect me to do your bidding, submit to you again! I won't do it. I owe nothing!"

As she walked across the balcony, a small object came running out of the darkness, wrapping his small arms around her, pleading to her out of complete fear.

_Mother, please, I'm scared!_  
 _What a dream_  
 _An awful dream!_  
 _Someone strange and mad  
_ _Seizing me and drowning me_

"Shh, Gustave," she consoled the child while rubbing his back, "it's all right, darling." She looked up at me as I glanced at the child, turning my gaze back to her. She turned the child around, smiling comfortingly. "Come and meet a friend of mine."

"Welcome to my world, my friend."

"Your world," the child asked, coming closer to me. "Where are we?"

"We're in Phantasma, little Victomte, on Coney Island," I replied as I took ahold of the child and lifted him up, placing his feet on the balcony railing. Christine's reaction was priceless. She grabbed ahold of the child's hand, afraid that I would drop him. Didn't she know me better than that? "A world of fantasy, were illusion is Emperor!"

**Tell me where you'd like to go**  
 **Tell me what you'd like to see  
** **Madam, please I insist!**

_Could you show me?_  
 _If you please_  
 _All Phantasma's mysteries_  
 _All that's strange and wild and dark  
_ _In the shadows of the park_

I gave Christine a sly little grin as I placed the child back down on the balcony once again. I turned him to face me, placing my hands on his shoulders. "You shall see it all tomorrow. In fact, I will show you the park myself. I promise."

**Sophia's POV  
** I took Gustave and pulled him back towards me. I told him to go back to bed and that I would be there soon to check on him, ushering him out of the room.

"Why does he wear a mask, Mother," he asked me. "Is he a magician?"

"Yes, darling, in his way," I replied, making sure that he had returned to his room before I turned my attention back to the Phantom.

"What a child," he said to me, walking across the living room towards me. "Full of life, and full of you, my Christine."

**Help me fuel this sadness**  
 **To this kindness for your mentor**  
 **Or your progeny**  
 **That perfect specimen**  
 **May disappear on Coney Island  
** **Vanish here on Coney Island**

"Ah, Christine…" he said softly with a smug look. My face had a look of terror, my breath leaving my body at the thought of him having Gustave, holding him until I did has he wished.

"What are you saying? How could you?! After all we have been? Who are you?!"

"I am your Angel of Music!" he yelled as he rushed me from across the room, taking me into his arms. "Don't you see that I'm dying, Christine?! I'm suffocating here in the dark! Give me breath! Give me life! Sing for me, or I will take away everything that you have ever loved!"

"No! No, you can't!"

"Oh, but I can! A man as hideous as this, believe me, is capable of anything."

As I was sitting at the piano bench, I had my head in my hand, dreading the thought of anything happening to my family. I slowly brought my head up, not facing him. "And what am I to sing?"

"One song, composed by me."

"And then, we will be free to leave?"

"After, of course, you receive the princely fee," he said as he handed me the manuscript that lay within black binding. I took it into my hands slowly, lowering my head and crying quietly as he departed from my sight. I opened the folder and read through the music, humming parts of it quietly. As I read the words, I realized that he still loved me after all of this time. I went to chase after him, realizing that he was gone. I slowly walked to the balcony, completely in a trance until it was broken by Raoul, who had returned from the hotel bar downstairs.

"He's nowhere to be seen," he said angrily, plopping down in the chair.

"Who," I asked as I still gazed outside, looking for him.

"Hammerstein. He never showed for the contract negotiations. I'm beginning to think that he doesn't want to work with us."

"Raoul."

I watched as he turned, looking at me, noticing that I looked incredibly drained from what had just occurred. "Christine?"

"Things have changed, Raoul."


	14. The Meeting

**A Week Later  
** **Sophia's POV  
** **Friday – 3:00pm**  
A week had passed since the disaster that was the dinner at Erik and Emma's home. I didn't leave the hotel except when I needed a little retail therapy. From the vast amount of shopping bags that were in my bedroom, that little had turned into a lot. I hadn't spoken to anyone since the dinner, especially Erik. I refused to. Drake changed hotel rooms and was now staying a few floors below me. He would only come up to make sure that I was still alive, but we hardly said two words to each other.

I was still angry at him for revealing my "virginal" status to everyone at the dinner. Because of me being raped by James Buquet ten years ago, I never considered that to be my first sexual experience, and therefore, I was still a virgin. However, I never told Drake that I had given myself to Erik. At this point, after everything that happened the night of the dinner, it was better for him, and for me, if he didn't know any better until I felt that he could handle the truth. Even though I knew that he would never be able to handle it.

On this particular Friday, you could tell that June was just around the corner. There was a nice breeze and it was warm. The sun was shining after some storms had passed through the night before. I had the balcony doors open, letting the warm air fill the hotel room. It was comforting in a way, but then again, summer was one of my favorite seasons. I had begun to sift through all of the bags that were in my room, trying on the clothes that I had bought. I had just put on a pastel purple sun dress, looking myself over in the mirror. The dress was knee length, with a light hint of stitched flowers in places, and wide straps at the shoulders. The dress was modest as all of my clothes were, and it looked great on me. As I was about to take off the dress and try on the next piece of clothing, there was a knock on the door. I made sure that I looked okay, and then crossed the living room from the bedroom, going to the door and looking through the peephole. On the other side was Squelch, who was waiting patiently and wearing the usual black attire that they all did when they were not performing. I knew it was only a matter of time before he had sent someone to fetch me. I unlocked and opened the door slightly, looking out at him.

"Good afternoon, Miss Day," he said as he took off his hat, bowing slightly. "May I come in?"

"I suppose I don't have choice," I asked, looking at him.

"No, miss."

I sighed a little. "That's what I thought," I replied, opening the door and letting him in. After he was inside, I closed the door, cutting past him and getting a bottle of water from the mini fridge. "So, what is his message?"

"Mr. Y is requesting your presence for a meeting at his office this evening at 8:00 PM to review and negotiate the terms and conditions of your contract."

"I decline his request," I replied coolly, taking a drink of water. "I will not be summoned like some common lackey or like that wife of his."

"He was afraid that you would say that. He would also like for me to tell you that this meeting is mandatory and if you do not show up, he will come here with the press and force you to sign it."

"He can't force me to do anything, but if that's the case, fine. My manager and I will –"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to mention that. Miss Day, your manager will not be attending this meeting. It is to be you only."

"I have never been to a contract negotiation without him, and if he honestly thinks that –"

"His presence is not required," Squelch said calmly, but I could tell that his patience was wearing thin. I took another drink, looking at him. I sighed softly, knowing that there was no way out of it.

"I'm sorry, Squelch. I'm not trying to shoot the messenger. I know that you're only doing your job, and that you have nothing to do with this. Please tell Mr. Y that I will be there at 8:00."

"Good. I'll pick you up at 7:30."

"Oh, no, that won't be necessary."

"This is at his request."

I hid a smile as I shook my head. "I suppose he thinks that I won't show up."

"Precisely."

I stifled a laugh. "All right. I'll see you at 7:30."

He nodded and left the hotel room shortly after. I sighed heavily after he left, going out onto the balcony to get some fresh air. I looked out at the park, knowing what I needed to do. I knew in my heart that I still loved him, but I also knew in my mind that with our past, we wouldn't be able to work together. I would have to refuse to sign the contract, and that's all there was to it. There was nothing that he could do or say to convince me otherwise.

It was only a couple hours after Squelch had left when I began to get ready for the meeting. I showered and freshened up, putting my hair up in a style that I was taught in Paris. It gave the illusion that it was in an up-do, but it was merely twisted and held together by two long hair pins that looked like knitting needles. It reminded me of Christine's hair in the dream that I had the night after the dinner. I took the tags off of the sundress that I had on earlier, deciding to wear it to the meeting with matching flats that I had bought for it. I had finished putting on a light hint of make-up when there was a knock at the door. I looked down at my watch, seeing that it was 7:30. I grabbed my purse and a sweater for later, going and answering the door. I had to stifle a laugh when I saw Squelch standing there, who was now in the clown costume that he always wore. He only snorted, which was followed by a light chuckle.

"It's okay to laugh at me, Miss Day," he said as I made sure that I had my hotel key, leaving the room after I found it. "I'm supposed to be funny."

"I just don't understand how you can walk around in it, out in public outside of the park."

"I'm used to it. I would have changed if I wasn't in between performances. Call's at 8:00, so we better get going."

I nodded as I closed the door and walked with him. We took the service stairs down to a town car that was waiting in the back of the hotel to be away from prying eyes. He opened the back seat door for me and I got in, checking myself over in my compact mirror before putting it back in my purse. Squelch got into the driver's seat and began to drive after buckling his seat belt. "The meeting shouldn't take very long, so I'll get a cab back," I told him as he drove. He glanced back at me in the rearview mirror, his make-up glistening as the setting sun shined in the windows.

"How do you know that, Miss Day? He has a lot that he wants to talk to you about."

"Just trust me on this. I know what he's going to try and pull, and I'm not going to fall for it."

He merely looked at me. It seemed like he knew something that I didn't. It wasn't long until we pulled up to the park. However, this wasn't the entrance that I usually came through. We were next to the concert hall, and it seemed that this was where the other employees hung out. He parked the car and helped me out, leading me the concert hall. "This is the service parking lot. I'm going to walk you to the entrance of his office, and then you're on your own."

"Okay. Squelch, thank you for being so nice to me. I know that I was rude to you."

"There's no need to apologize, Miss Day," he said as we walked up the Grand Staircase and into the Grand Foyer. "I know that with everything that happened at the dinner you're probably still upset. Just don't let your emotions get the better of you." We came to the end of the Grand Foyer and we stood in front of a door that wasn't really a door. Squelch pulled on a statue to the right of the door and it opened automatically. "This is as far as I go. Just go up the stairs and the door to the office will be the only door at the top. Don't be afraid; it's not dark. There's plenty of light in the hallway."

I nodded, thanking him again as I stepped through the door. I was taken aback by the first sight of it. It was a long staircase, lit only by candlelight. The candelabras were mounted upon the wall and were statuettes of angels as they held a torch. I slowly climbed the staircase, finding my way in the light. I came to the office door, knocking gently. I heard his voice on the other side telling me to come in. I slowly opened the door, gasping quietly as I stepped inside.

His office was in the shape of a rotunda, and I knew that we were inside the round part of the roof. "Oh, dear sweet Mother of God," I spoke softly, taking a look around after I had closed the door. The walls were a cream color with accents of gold here and there, and glitter speckled on the walls. The floor was marble and there was a balcony to my right. The doors were open and the curtains were blowing lightly in the breeze. The office was beautifully decorated with items from Paris, along with everything that was once in the basement of his home. The same grand piano was to the left off his desk and there was a couch against the wall that was close to the balcony doors. The desk was in the center of the room, but closest the bookshelf and near the wall. I noticed a pile of manuscript paper on the desk, but I didn't dare go near it. I looked over and he was standing next to the desk, waiting patiently.

"I've been expecting you," he said as he came around the desk, gesturing to a chair that was sitting in front of his desk. "Have a seat."

I was hesitant in doing this, but I didn't want to be impolite. I walked over and sat down, setting my things below my feet. I watched him as he looked me over, smiling a little. "Well?"

"I was just going to tell you that you look nice, but it seems that you want to get down to business. All right, then." He reached around and grabbed a document from his desk, which I could tell was my contract. I sat and waited patiently as he cleared his throat, beginning to review the terms and conditions of the contract. "Upon signing the contract, you will be agreeing to a one night only performance, which will be announced when I wish. When you sign the contract, I will be paying you $500,000 as the initial start fee –"

"You don't have to pay me that much. In fact, that's way too much."

"And after your performance, you will be paid $2 million. You and I will be working together with costume design, blocking, lighting and you will have the opportunity to sit in with my staff meetings with the trio, Emma, and her mother. Also, you will be free to go after you fulfill the contract and I will never contact you again."

"This is too good to be true. There must be catch."

"Well, yes, there is. When you sign the contract, you will be agreeing to daily voice lessons that will be taught by me –"

"Are you insane?! I don't need voice lessons anymore. I'm a star!"

He stopped, setting the contract aside. "Come here," he said, going back to the other side of the desk. "I want to show you something."

"I'm fine here, thank you."

"It wasn't a request."

I looked at him, shaking my head. I stood up, going over to the other side of the desk. He allowed me to sit in the chair as he brought up YouTube. He had an entire playlist of just me. The videos were performances of mine over the past ten years, including videos in the role of various opera roles such as Mimi from  _La Boheme_. I looked up at him as he moved his mouse over to one of the videos, clicking on it to let it play.

"A bit obsessive, aren't we?"

He looked down at me as the video started to play, not answering me. "I want you to watch this. This is you when you were in  _The Magic Flute_  at the Met a few years ago."

"I'd rather not," I said as I moved to get up, but he pushed me back down to the chair.

"You played Pamina, if you recall. This is Act II, Scene Four;  _Ach, ich fühl's, es ist verschwunden_."

" _Ah, I Feel It, It Is Vanished_ ; Pamina's Lament," I said the translation softly, looking up at him. "I really don't want to watch this."

"I figured not, but I want you to anyway," he said. "What is Pamina lamenting about when she sings this?"

"She's in love with Tamino, but she fears that Tamino doesn't love her in return. She feels that love's happiness is gone from her soul because of this, and her tears flow for him and him alone. She says if he can't feel the longing of love, there will be peace in death."

"Your professors at Julliard taught you well. However, if that's the case, why don't you show it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Look at your eyes. They are completely dead, lacking of emotion. When you were Belle –"

"Do we really need to bring up the past?"

He moved slightly, opening a drawer of his desk, removing a picture from it. When set it in front of me on the desk, I saw it was a picture of me as Belle, singing. "When you were Belle," he continued, "You could read every emotion that she was carrying not only with her words and actions, but with your eyes. So, what changed from the time when you were Belle to now? Why are your eyes so dead, Sophie?"

"This is why I didn't want to watch this, but you didn't listen. I don't have to take this, and I don't have to sign your contract. In fact, I'm not going to sign your contract." I stood up, pushing past him and moving towards the door. "I am a successful person, Erik, and you cannot deny that. I don't have to take this from you."

"You are not leaving until we talk about this," he said, going over to his bookshelf, taking something down. It was a box. As he opened it, he pulled out vast newspapers from all over the country and the world. "I've been keeping track of you over the years. Most of these reviews are good, and they do lavish affection on you. However, I agree with the critics." He handed me a stack of newspapers for me to look at. "Your critics believe that although you are a great talent with exceptional training, you went from being so passionate about your work and the roles that you filled to being completely and utterly mediocre at best."

As I looked at the papers, I held back the tears of disappointment not only in me, but the disappointment that he showed towards me. I walked over, giving the papers back to him. "You know that we can't do this. I can't do this. This is just going to end up being a mistake and you know it. I won't sign the contract." I leaned up, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Drake never let me read the reviews. He knew that it would hurt me. However, I always needed that little bit of honesty. Thank you for showing those to me." I turned to leave, and had almost made it to the door when he spoke again.

"So why are your eyes so dead? Is it because he hits you?"

I froze, whipping around. "That's none of your business. Gangle shouldn't have interfered, let alone tell you."

"He had every right to tell me and to have interfered. You can't handle him."

"I've been handling him for the past six years, and I'm doing just fine. Is that why you didn't want him here?"

"He shouldn't be hitting you at all! How could you let yourself become so vulnerable? After everything that you've been through!"

"Why do you care?! You weren't there, and haven't been for years! Watching me from afar like…like…"

"Like?"

"Not important," I said softly, walking towards him. "Can't you see that this won't work?"

"Why don't we put that theory to the test?"

"What?"

"I have a proposition for you."

"Your propositions never end well."

He smirked, walking over to his desk, picking up a piece of music along with a CD. "I've been working on a piece of music for a while. I have the music, but I don't have the lyrics."

My eyes widened and I began to shake my head. "No."

"I recorded the orchestra playing the music yesterday. You will sing with me, whatever comes to your mind. If you like what we come up with, you will sign the contract. If not, you'll be free to go and I'll never bother you again." He put the CD in the stereo that was near the piano, pressing play. The music began slowly, playing a very light melody. "Are you ready?"

"No. I won't do this. I can't do this."

"Why not?"

"You know why."

"You can't continue to dwell in the past, Sophia."

"I'm not dwelling in the past. I'm thinking about the future."

"What do you mean?"

"You have a family. A wife and a child, and your wife was my best friend. I can't do this because I will ruin everything that you have."

"I think you're afraid."

"I'm not afraid."

"You're afraid of what will happen to you. Because of him."

"You're still so full of yourself," I said as I walked over to him as the music was beginning to grow with a drum roll. "I told you that I can handle him, but don't you understand? Things have changed, Erik."

All of a sudden, he slammed his fist on the piano, turning towards me, his powerful tenor full of anger as he sang.

**Insolent boy**  
 **That slave of fashion**  
 **He basks in your glory**  
 **Ignorant fool**  
 **That cowardly manager  
** **Sharing in my triumph**

I stepped back slightly, speaking my reply. "I understand that you're angry, but you have to understand that things can't be as they once were. My soul is weak, so forgive me. I am sorry, Erik, for everything."

He grabbed my hand and pulled me over to a mirror that was in the corner of the room, placing me in front of it. He sang to me again, this time more gentle than before, his hands on my shoulders.

**Flattering star, you should know me  
** **You know what secrets I hide…**

He moved a hand over my heart. His touch took my breath away.

**Look at yourself in the mirror  
** **I am here inside!**

His hand moved up to cup my chin, turning my face to his. I found myself drowning in his beautiful blue eyes, just has I had done before so many years ago. "One song, Sophie. That's all I'm asking for. If you like it, you sign the contract. If you don't, you're free to go."

"I can't," I said softly, backing away from him. "Things can't be as they once were, Erik. I'm sorry." I turned, but I didn't take a step. He wasn't going to let me.

**I am your Angel of Music…**

I whipped around, backing towards the door. "No. No, no, no!"

**Come to me, Angel of Music…**

"Erik, stop it! I won't do it!" I went to run for the door, but he was too quick. He grabbed me by the wrist, and pulled me to him. I knew that I had lost.

**I am your Angel of Music  
** **Come to me Angel of Music…**

As the main part of the song began, I found myself completely enthralled with him. He pulled me to the center of the room, reaching up and removing the hair pins from my hair. The long curls that I kept up cascaded down my shoulders and back. As he stepped back from me, taking me in, words came to my mind and I began to sing.

_In sleep, he sang to me_  
 _In dreams, he came_  
 _That voice which calls to me_  
 _And speaks my name_  
 _And do I dream again_  
 _For now I find_  
 _The Phantom of the Opera is there  
_ _Inside my mind_

Once I had sang, it was like my mind had come back and I realized what I had done. Yes, the words that had come from me were exquisite, and they went with the music so well, but I knew that I had to leave before I did something that we would both regret. I turned and moved towards the door once again, but my feet froze as soon as the gorgeous tenor voice of my former lover came, filling the room and filling my soul just as he had done before.

**Sing once again with me**  
 **Our strange duet**  
 **My power over you**  
 **Grows stronger yet**  
 **And though you turn from me**  
 **To glance behind**  
 **The Phantom of the Opera is there  
** **Inside your mind**

He crossed the room and took my hand, pulling me back to my original place. My heart was pounding against my chest, the heat of passion boiling inside of me. I had to fight it. As I fought my feelings and emotions back, I sang again, dropping my hand from his as he circled around me.

_Those who have seen your face_  
 _Draw back in fear  
_ _I am the mask you wear_

**It's me they hear**

He came behind me at this point, wrapping his strong arms around me to keep me from escaping. I tensed up immediately, and I knew that he could tell. As we sang together, he moved his hands to my shoulders and down my arms, taking ahold of my hands.

_Your spirit and my voice_  ( **My spirit and your voice** )  
 _ **In one combined  
**_ _ **The Phantom of the Opera is there  
**_ _Inside my mind_  ( **Inside your mind** )

"Why are you fighting this," he asked me, during the musical interlude. "Don't be afraid of it, Sophie. Let your heart take over. Let the music fill you as it did before." The key changed and I was completely gone, lost in the melody and his words.

**In all your fantasy**  
 **You always knew  
** **That man and mystery**

I slowly turned to face him and he took a small step back, watching me closely.

_Were both in you_

_**And in this labyrinth  
**_ _ **Where night is blind  
**_ _ **The Phantom of the Opera is here (there)  
**_ _Inside my mind_  ( **Inside your mind** )

He took another step back, grinning from ear to ear. He knew that he had won, and he was basking in all of the glory. "My Angel of Music!"

_He's there  
_ _The Phantom of the Opera_

"Sing!"

_Ah…_

"Sing!"

_Ah…  
_ _Ah…_

"Sing!"

_Ah…_  
 _Ah…  
_ _Ah…_

"Sing! Sing for me!"

_AHHHHH!_

As the high note echoed through the office and through some of the park, I raised my hand to my throat, completely breathless and amazed. I placed my hand over my mouth, breathing heavily as I watched him.

**I have brought you**  
 **To the seat of sweet music's throne**  
 **To this kingdom where all must pay homage to music**  
 **Music**  
 **You have come here**  
 **For one purpose and one alone**  
 **Since the moment I first heard you sing**  
 **I have needed you with me**  
 **To serve me**  
 **To sing  
** **For my music**

"No…"

**Our music…**

**Erik's POV  
** I stood there, my heart pounding against my chest as I watched her. My God, she was still so beautiful. When I took out the hair pins and watched her hair cascade down her back and shoulders, it took my breath away. The Sophia that I knew had returned, along with the emotion that she had buried away, and it was all because of me. I knew that she wouldn't be able to resist. And it was obvious that she liked what we had come up with together. I walked over to my desk and picked up the contract, looking at her. Her hand had dropped from her mouth and she was breathing heavily, staring at me.

"Sophie, are you all right," I asked, walking towards her with a pen and the contract. She could only nod, still in complete shock from what had just happened. "I can tell that you enjoyed that. The emotion that you once had has returned. I could see it in your eyes. Sign the contract, Sophie, and we'll begin our work on Monday."

I watched her as she slowly grabbed the contract from my hand. I watched her gaze travel from the print to me. "And what am I to sing," she asked, her voice soft and timid, as if she were afraid of what else would come out of her mouth.

"One song, which will be chosen by me."

"And then, I will be free to leave?"

"After, of course, I pay the final fee."

She looked at the contract again before she took the pen from me, going over to the desk and signing the contract. I went over to open the door. As I did so, the trio fell upon the floor, all three of them looking up at me. "What did you three think, since you were listening at the door?"

"She sounded beautiful," Gangle said first as he stood up, then helped up Fleck and Squelch.

"Angelic."

"Perfect."

I smiled softly, going back over to her. She handed me the contract, still in a daze. I cupped her chin, bringing her gaze up to mine. "We'll begin the voice lessons on Monday," I said softly, grabbing an envelope that was on my desk, which contained the cashier's check worth $500,000 for her starting fee. I handed it to her, but she didn't take it.

"I don't want it," she said softly, looking down. "It's way too much money to be paying me, when I'm only mediocre at best."

"To me, you're worth this much money and a whole lot more," I whispered, placing the envelope in her hand. She took it, and then grabbed her purse and sweater, heading towards the door. "Gangle, make sure she gets back to the hotel okay."

He nodded, following her out and shutting the door. I sighed happily, sitting at my desk while Fleck and Squelch sat down in the chairs in front of it.

"It seems that you are incredibly pleased with yourself," Fleck observed, sitting back in the chair.

"You have no idea, Miss Fleck. She is going to be fantastic."

"I imagine that this will be a secret until a press conference is held," Squelch asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"Of course, Mr. Squelch. I wouldn't have any other way. I'm just wondering what I'm going to do with this," I said as I turned the computer monitor towards them. I had recorded the entire session via webcam, and was now a saved file on my computer.

"If it were me, sir, I would keep it secret and safe. No one needs to know about it."

"I agree. If this was leaked, it would be disastrous not only to her reputation, but to yours as well. When you're walking around the park, you're seen in a mask. If people saw you like this, it would hurt your business."

I nodded, putting the file on my flash drive and locking it back in my desk. "I don't know what I would do without you three. Come. It's been a long day. Let's go get Emma and Christine."


	15. After The Meeting

**Sophia's POV  
** **11:00pm**  
"I do not understand how in the hell you could have went there without me and signed a contract that you should have never agreed to in the first place," Drake yelled at me as he paced the hotel room while I sipped at a glass of wine. "What the fuck were you thinking?!"

"Drake, I signed the contract because I wanted to," I replied, crossing the room and sitting on the couch. "He didn't want you there because of you hitting me after dinner. If you wouldn't have gotten caught by Gangle, I'm sure that you still wouldn't have been invited. I made my bed. Now I'll lie in it."

"No, you're going to end up lying in his bed, just like you've always wanted to," he yelled again, this time throwing a vase across the room, shattering it against the opposite wall. "Jesus Christ, Sophie! How could you do this to me?"

"How could I do this to you? As if you haven't betrayed me before? Get over yourself." I sipped at my wine again. "In fact, get out of my hotel room and go get your fix."

He scoffed, stomping off to the door. "You're going to regret this."

"Just be at the press conference by 10:00 AM Monday morning."

He threw open the door and stopped himself before stomping down the hallway to the elevator. "Oh. Sorry, Emma. I'm afraid she's sour company still."

"I'm not the one who's sour, you stupid prick," I yelled as I stood up from the couch, putting a hand over my mouth when I saw Emma and Christine standing at the door. "Oh, Emma, I am so sorry," I said softly, putting my wine down and going over, inviting them in. "I am so sorry that you heard that, Christine. You shouldn't hear things like that."

"Sophie, it's okay," Emma replied, having Emma sit in the chair next to the couch, coming over to help me clean up the broken vase. "Erik told us the good news. Congratulations."

"Thank you," I replied, placing the flowers on the end table by the balcony, glancing over at Christine as she played with the music box. I hid a smile, grabbing a trash can and letting Emma throw the broken pieces away. "I'm afraid that Drake is less than happy about the situation. In fact, he's quite livid."

"Are you okay, though? Do you need to come and stay with us?"

"No, thank you, but I'll be fine. Would you like some wine?"

"No, thank you. I'm driving tonight. I was taking Christine for a drive. It always seems to settle her down, especially after a Friday at the park."

I nodded, glancing over at Christine again before turning my attention back to Emma. "It is awfully late, Emma. I'm sure that the park is closed by now."

"Well, yes it is…"

"What's wrong?"

"Oh, Sophie, I normally wouldn't ask you of this but…"

"What is it?"

"I have a late dinner meeting with my mother and some of her society friends at her place and…well, let's just say that it's not a place for Christine. Erik is busy doing paperwork, and the trio has already gone home for the night. Would you mind watching her?"

My eyes widened. "Oh, Emma, she hardly knows me and I'm not really sure about this."

"She'll go right to sleep once you put a movie on, and Erik shouldn't be too long. It would be an hour at most. Please?"

I glanced over at Christine, then back at Emma. "Well, I –"

"Thank you," she said joyfully, pulling me in for a hug. She grabbed the hotel memo pad and wrote down two numbers. "The top number is Erik's cell phone. He always has it on, so you can text him if you have any questions. The other number is mine. If there is an emergency, call me. She's a good girl. She won't be any trouble, I promise." She crossed the room and bent down next to Christine, brushing her hair back. "Now, darling, Daddy will be here to get you in a little while. I want you to be good for Miss Day, all right? You listen to her and if you need anything, have her call either me or Daddy. Okay?"

"Okay, Mommy," she said softly, giving Emma a hug and sitting properly in the chair. Emma came over and hugged me again before leaving.

"Thank you again. I owe you one."

She closed the door as she left. Christine and I both turned to each other, glancing at one another before looking away again. I came back around and sat back down on the couch while she stayed in the chair, playing with the hem of her dress. Well, this was certainly awkward, and I had my share of awkward moments over the past ten years. I glanced over at her once again, and found her staring at me. She looked like she was gathering up the courage to talk to me, but she wasn't really sure what to say.

"Well, I don't believe that we had a good first meeting when I met you for the first time last week," I said, deciding to break the ice, scooting closer to her. "My name is Sophia, and it's very nice to meet you, Christine."

"I know who you are," she said softly, still playing with the hem of her dress. "I'm a really big fan of yours. I'm just really nervous."

"Nervous? Why?"

"Because you're Sophia Day, the greatest soprano that ever lived. At least, in my opinion."

"You're very articulate for being so young. How old are you?"

"Nine, but I'll be ten in September."

I smiled a little, feeling more comfortable around her. I leaned forward, grabbing the room service menu. "Are you hungry? Have you had dinner?"

"I am a little hungry."

"How does pizza sound?"

She smiled, having stopped playing with the hem of her dress. "It's one of my favorite foods."

"It will be my treat. What's your favorite?"

"Pepperoni with beef on a cheesed-stuffed crust."

I grinned. "That's my favorite too," I said as I picked up the phone, calling and ordering it. I watched her while I was on the phone. She got up from the chair and began to look around glancing at a few things that I had. "It should be here in about twenty minutes. Can you wait that long?"

"I'll be fine," she said, looking through my movie collection. "You collect Disney movies?"

I laughed lightly. "Yes, actually, I do. I've always been a Disney fan. I have seen nearly all of them."

"What's your favorite?"

"Oh, that's a little hard for me to pick. However, if I would have to pick my top favorite, it would definitely be Beauty and the Beast."

"Is that because you played Belle when you were in high school?"

I turned to her, lifting an eyebrow. "How did you know that?"

She shrugged, getting the movie out and putting it in the DVD player. "Daddy has a picture of you from when you were his student. I've seen it a hundred times." She crossed back over to the couch, sitting down, putting her feet on the coffee table, getting the remote and turning the television on. "Is this okay? I'm sorry; I didn't even think to ask."

I laughed a little. "It's fine," I said, going to the bedroom and getting my wallet from my purse. I couldn't help thinking that there was this strange sense of Déjà vu between us. It wasn't only seeing her in the dream, but it was something else. I just didn't know what. As I came back out, there was a knock at the door. It was the pizza. I opened the door and paid the boy, telling him to keep the change after he handed me the box. I came back over to the couch, setting the box on the coffee table. "I'll get us some water and some napkins," I told her, doing so, coming back and sitting down. I served her first before I served myself, getting comfortable and watching the movie.

The movie was about halfway over, and Christine had fallen asleep on the couch. I was up, getting a blanket for her when my phone started to ring. I pulled it out of my pocket, pressing answer and putting the phone up to my ear. "Hello," I said quietly, covering Christine up with a blanket.

"Oh, thank God," Erik's frantic voice came through on the other end. "I wasn't sure if this was still your number or not."

"Erik? What's wrong?"

"I can't find Emma or Christine. I'm at the house and it's all dark, as if nobody has been here since this afternoon."

"Erik, calm down. Christine's here with me."

"She's…she's what?"

"She's here with me at the hotel. Emma said that she had to go to her mom's for dinner. Didn't she tell you?"

He sighed, immediately calming down. "No, she didn't tell me. It must have been one of those last minute things. I'll be there soon with Squelch."

"There's no hurry. She's had dinner and she's just fallen asleep."

"You got her to go to sleep?"

"Well, yeah. It wasn't all that hard. We had pizza and watched a movie. We weren't even at the halfway point of the movie, nor through the pizza, before she fell asleep."

"She's always up until very early in the morning during the summer. It's a wonder you got her to go to sleep."

I shrugged, and then I glanced at her while she slept. "She was a joy. Very sweet little girl."

"Well, thank you. I'll be there soon, okay?"

"Don't worry about a thing, Erik. Everything is under control."

"Thanks." The line went dead shortly after. I pressed 'end call' and placed my phone back in my pocket, sitting down in the chair. I found myself watching Christine while she slept, not paying attention to the movie any longer. It wasn't long after the phone call ended that there was a quiet knock at the door. I got up, going to answer the door. Erik was there with Squelch. Poor Squelch was in sweats and looked like he was woke up out of a sound sleep. He trudged in, going over to the couch and picking up Christine, trudging back out.

"He seems like a joy right now," I said quietly, looking at Erik, inviting him in. He declined; I could tell that he was tired.

"I woke him up before I called you. I'm sorry that she dumped Christine off on you like this. She's been going to her mother's quite a bit lately."

"It really wasn't a problem, Erik. In fact, I would like to do it again sometime."

"You…you what?"

"If it's all right with you and Emma, I'd like to babysit Christine again. However, if you don't feel comfortable with me watching her, I'll completely understand."

"I'll have to discuss it with Emma."

"I understand. Look, it's been a long night. We're both tired. Let's get some rest and I'll see you on Monday morning, okay?"

He nodded, leaving without saying goodnight. I closed the door, locking it before I went back into the bedroom, getting ready for bed. My mind shifted between Christine and the duet that Erik and I shared earlier that evening. Before I realized it, I was laying down on the bed, my eyes heavy and the dark room comforting to my tired mind. I quickly drifted off, my body taking up the entire bed as I slept peacefully.


	16. The Press Conference

**Erik's POV  
** **Monday - 10:00am**  
Emma, Sophie, and I stood behind the doors of the concert hall as the last of the reporters began to gather at the bottom of the steps. Sophie kept looking around and checking her watch. I knew that she was waiting for Drake. When she pulled out her phone to call him, he came in through the side door, stumbling and not there at all. It was obvious that he was high. I adjusted my mask as Sophia cut him off at the pass, putting her hands up to stop him. I could slightly hear the few hushed words that they uttered, and I could tell that by Sophia's body language that she wasn't happy.

"If you will handle yourself accordingly, I'll let you go out there with us," Sophie whispered, moving where Drake moved to continue to stop him. "You weren't supposed to show up high, Drake. Promise me that you won't do anything stupid."

"I'll be a good little boy, I promise," he said with a slight slur, glancing up at me, lifting an eyebrow. "What's up with him?"

"Don't worry about it. Just stand in the back with Emma and you'll be fine," she said softly, walking him to the door. She nodded to me, and I opened the doors to the flood of the shouting reporters and the flashes from the numerous cameras. I stepped out in front of the podium, putting my hands up to calm the clamoring reporters, beginning to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the press, as I'm sure you are all fully aware, Miss Sophia Day and I have been in talks over a possible contract for her to perform here at Phantasma. I am happy to announce that Miss Day and I have reached an agreement and the contract is signed. However, I'm sure that you don't want to listen to me hype about how excited I am that she's here, so I'll turn the podium over to her. Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Sophia Day."

I held my hand out to her and she took it, gracefully stepping up onto the podium after I had stepped out of the way. I took a step back, standing next to Drake while she answered the questions of the reporters, my hands behind my back as I watched her.

"We didn't get a chance to talk, you and I," he whispered to me, watching her as well as she made a joke and the reporters laughed. "What did you do to get her to sign the contract?"

"Nothing that you're thinking of, Drake," I replied, my gaze not moving to let anyone know that something was amiss.

"Oh, please. I know that you have your ways. Did you sing to her? She always loved you…and your voice."

"Drake, this is not the time or place for this type of conversation. If you would like, I can schedule a meeting with you later today…when you have come down from your high."

He scoffed, still not looking at me, but I could tell I was pissing him off. "What's the deal with the mask that you're wearing? You've never worn a mask before, or at least, not since I've known you."

"That is none of your business, but if you must know, I'll tell you. It's for my character of Mr. Y."

"That's a very peculiar mask, though," he said as he glanced at me, then turned his attention back to Sophie. "It looks familiar."

"You've never seen a mask like this because I made it myself."

"So this character, this Mr. Y…does he have scars as well?"

I looked at him, and then turned my attention back to the reporters. "My character is who I am, or was. It doesn't matter whether he has scars or not."

He was silent for a few moments. Suddenly, his eyes widened, looking at me from the corner of his eye, wearing a fiendish grin. "Oh, my God, they don't know you're deformed."

"Drake, you better think about your actions before you actually act."

"Let's see whose face is in the mask."

"Drake, I swear to God, if you touch me, I'll –"

I wasn't quick enough. Before I realized it, Drake had reached over, yanking the mask from my face and throwing it to the ground, kicking it away from me. The reporters gasped and began to snap pictures of me. I cowered, hiding my face from them as they began to shout questions at me. Suddenly, there was a sweater over my face, hiding me from their cameras. I could tell from the scent that it was Sophie's. She was definitely my angel.

**Sophia's POV**  
"It's okay," I whispered him, shielding him from the crowding reporters, as Emma fetched Gangle and Squelch. I looked up at Drake, giving him a horrid, pissed off look. He looked down, just grinning at the two of us, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked very satisfied with himself, and not caring the cost of others and their pride.

"Get out of my sight," I yelled at him through gritted teeth. "How could you do this?"

"You've got to be kidding me. Get over it. They should have known that he was a deformed monster."

"He's not a monster, and you know it! You are the most evil person that I've ever met in the world!"

He glared at me, turning as he prepared to leave. Gangle and Squelch emerged from the theater, pushing him down the stairs to get to Erik. I helped him to stand, and the duo took him inside. "You better be watching yourself when you get back to the hotel," he threatened me as I went inside, bending down next to Erik as he sat on the floor, hiding his face in his hands.

"This is a disaster," Emma said worriedly, pacing through the lobby as the reporters gathered at the windows, wanting answers. "No one knew that he was deformed. This is going to ruin not only his reputation, but Phantasma's business as well!"

"Emma, calm down," I said softly, rubbing his back to console him. "I'll smooth this over. Other people knew of the deformity and they didn't care."

"But, Sophie, you don't know the people of New York like you used to. They are vultures! Not only that, but a lot of them hate the park. This is perfect ammunition for them!"

"They were still vultures when I was here before, and they will always be vultures. They just don't like people who are different, but those who are different will always be around and will always overcome them."

"Sophie, trust me on this. It's not going to work."

"Emma, stop," he spoke softly, slowly looking up at me, giving me back my sweater that I had used to cover his face. "Go talk to them, Sophie. Tell them everything."

"What? But Erik –"

"They'll listen to you. You can win them over."

"Telling them everything would mean –"

"I know what it means. Now, go."

I nodded, standing up slowly, and going to the doors, opening them. "Ladies and gentlemen, let me through please. I'm going to give a statement on Mr. Y's behalf."

The reporters scattered and gathered again that the bottom of the steps again, and the questions came like rapid fire. "What was that on Mr. Y's face? Was it make-up? Was he a war hero? Is he deformed?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, please! I'll explain everything once you all calm down." They all became quiet, the tape recorders and cameras on. I took a deep breath, folding my hands on the podium, looking out at the group. "Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I regret that you learned one of the greatest mysteries of Phantasma in one of the most horrid and inhumane manners. Mr. Y is a man who was born with a rare hereditary deformity, and in order to please some of those who reside in this city who don't like those who are different, he hid his face from the world. Let me tell you a little bit about the man known as Mr. Y. His name is Erik, Erik Destler. He is one of the most gifted and talented men in the city, and I'm proud to call him my friend and…and teacher."

"Miss Day," said a reporter's voice from below, "do the people have anything to fear with this man?"

"Absolutely not. He is one of the gentlest, kindest, and warmest souls on this earth that you would be glad to know. I'm sure that when you air your footage this afternoon and this evening that you will show him being unmasked, and the people who are not a fan of Phantasma will use this to their advantage to try and bring down the park and its people. I have one thing to say to them: look around you. You will always find someone who is different from you and you always try and bring them down. Phantasma is a place where the different will roam and reign, and all are welcome at Phantasma. Maybe you could try being different once in a while instead of being the same old, stuck up people who always look down on us. And for those of you who are different and looking for a place to belong, come down to Phantasma. We will accept you, no matter how different you are. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your time."

I stepped down from the podium and retreated to the interior of the concert hall, ignoring the calls of the reporters as I closed the doors. I was immediately embraced, his strong arms latched around me, afraid to let me go. I stood there, completely stunned, unsure of what to do. I glanced over, looking back and forth for Emma. I didn't see her, Squelch, or Gangle. Slowly, I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him back as I closed my eyes. As I did so, I heard a quiet sniffling and felt warm tears upon my shoulder. I opened my eyes, looking at him. He was crying. I hugged him tightly, letting him cry until I assumed that he was finished. It had been a few minutes and he slowly pulled away, his face red and tear stained. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"I'm so sorry. I should have sent him away as soon as he got here. I didn't think he would do something so incredibly stupid."

"You have no control over him when he's like that. It's the drugs more than anything. If you can get him off of the drugs, things can be back to the way they were for you and him so many years ago."

I sighed, hugging him again. "I'm afraid that ship sailed away a long time ago," I said as he wrapped his arms around me again, his fingers tangled within my hair. We stood there in silence for a few moments until we heard a throat being cleared nearby. We pulled apart and looked over, seeing Isabella standing at the top of the Grand Staircase. I crossed my hands over my chest, looking at her. "Isabella. How nice to see you."

"Mm-hmm," she responded, coming down the stairs. "That was a nice statement you gave to the reporters, Miss Day. However, I'm sure that the business was ruined by that manager of yours."

"And he will be dealt with accordingly, don't you worry. I'm sure that you didn't come down to tell me that my statement was good."

"You are correct. It's time for you to leave."

"Excuse me?"

"My daughter feels that it would be best if you left."

"Are those her words or yours?"

"Why should that matter?"

"I'm getting really sick of you treating me like crap," I said as I went up to her, but Erik pulled me back, looking down at me.

"It's okay. Just come back later."

"But –"

"Sophia."

I sighed, looking back over at Isabella. "Fine, I'll leave, but you can't keep me out of the park. I haven't done anything wrong."

As I nodded at Erik, he let me go, and I left through the service entrance, seething. I didn't understand how Isabella could treat me so horribly. I had never done anything to her, and somehow that gave her the right to talk down to me like I was a beggar? I hailed a cab, taking it back to the hotel. As I listened to the radio, I smiled softly as the reporters praised me for standing up for all of those who were different and inviting them to Phantasma. I would go there later tonight to see how many would attend. Besides, I had my first round of voice lessons this evening. And there was no way that I was going to miss it.


	17. Press Conference Aftermath

**Sophia's POV  
** **Noon**  
When I returned to the hotel, Drake was waiting for me in my room. He was fuming; all because I had sent him away after the stunt he had pulled at the press conference only a couple hours before. As soon as I unlocked my door, I felt my weight shift forward and a firm grip on my arm. He pulled me inside, slamming the door shut and throwing me against it. I groaned lightly, trying to get away, but he pinned me against the wall away from the door, his hand on my throat.

"How dare you send me away like some common lackey," he growled, hurling me into the main living area of the room. I caught myself on the couch, turning around to face him.

"You shouldn't have done what you did, let alone show up to a press conference higher than a fucking kite."

I didn't have time to brace myself. Before I knew it, the back of Drake's hand came across my face with a hard smack, sending me to the floor. My entire jaw throbbed as I pulled myself back up, not showing weakness.

"I can do whatever I want. I'm your boss."

"I would rethink that if I were you. I'm the one who hired you, I'm the one that pays you, and I'm the one who can fire your ass."

"You don't have the guts to fire me. I'll sue you for every penny you're worth."

"On what grounds? You were paid very handsomely over the past six years, and you're a drug addict. Your case won't stand. For what you just did to me, I'm cutting your percentage from 30% to 15%."

"You can't do that to me!"

"Yes, I can, and I just did. Be grateful that you're not fired. Now, get the fuck out of my hotel room."

"We're not done."

"Yes, we are. Get. Out."

He sneered at me, and then turned his back to me. Just as I thought he was going to leave, he wheeled around, the back of his right hand hitting me once more. This slap was much harder than the first one, and it sent me to the floor again. "Bitch," he whispered coldly as he left, slamming the door shut behind him. I slowly pulled myself up off the floor, holding onto the couch to steady myself. My anxiety shot up and I gripped the couch, my breath quickening as images off my past flashed through my mind. Buquet molesting and raping me, the fight with Chrissy, the previous fights with Drake, and Erik. I soon found myself running to the bathroom, hurling myself in front of the toiler, and vomiting. This didn't happen very often; only when I was very stressed out and Drake had been very violent towards me. When I was done, I flushed the toilet and slowly stood, washing my mouth with a washcloth over the sink, looking myself over in the mirror. My cheek was swollen and had begun to bruise where his knuckles had connected with my jaw. Nothing a little stage make-up couldn't fix. I got into my make-up case, pulling out what I needed so I would have it for later. I also took a pill bottle out of the case, looking at the label. It was my Xanax, which I took in cases like this. I opened the bottle and took one of the pills out, popping it so my anxiety would be under control by the time of my voice lesson. Once in a while, it seemed like the Xanax was the only way I could leave the hurt behind.

Later that evening, after icing my jaw and applying a little stage make-up, I returned to Phantasma for my voice lesson. My cheek wasn't as swollen and the bruises were minimized and covered by the make-up, but the Xanax that I had taken was still working and I was feeling pretty mellow. When the cab pulled up to the park, it was packed. The parking lot was completely full, and more people continued to arrive, using the employee parking lot to park their vehicles in. As I made my way through the vast sea of people, the employees and the freaks smiled at me, as if to say thank you for what I had said at the press conference. I finally reached the concert hall, and there were people lined up around the building and down to the pier. I snuck in through the service entrance, finding my way back to the Grand Foyer and to the hidden door. I pulled the latch and the door opened slowly. I moved up the stairs, finding my way in the dark, seeing that the office door was open. I went inside, completely engrossed in darkness with the exception of what little light was shining through the balcony doors. I looked around, shutting the office door behind me. As the door clicked shut, there was a voice cutting through the darkness.

"Who's there?" he asked softly, not moving from wherever he was.

"It's Sophie. Erik, where are you? It's completely dark in here."

"I'm on the couch. I don't want to be seen."

"Well, if you recall, we have a voice lesson," I said softly, making my way to the couch, feeling my way through the darkness. I found the arm of the couch, and felt the softness of his hair. I knelt down, seeing his face. It was tear stained, blotchy, and it looked like he hadn't moved from the couch in a while. "You haven't left this office since this afternoon, have you?"

He turned to look at me, his eyes glistening with the remnants of tears, completely and utterly filled with sadness. "You can still read me so well."

"Not all of the time," I said, taking him by the hand, pulling him up from the couch. "Come to the balcony doors. There's something that you need to see."

"I don't want to see anyone or anything. I'm going to be ridiculed for how I look."

"Stop it. You're being ridiculous," I said, pointing down to the see of people. "Look. I came here tonight, and there was no place to park. People are actually using whatever they can get, including the employees parking lot. And look. There are people lined up down the pier to see the shows that you are holding downstairs on your stage. There are people riding the rides, playing the games, and just taking in the sights of your park. Erik, you have nothing to worry about. Phantasma is not going to fail. It's going to thrive."

**Erik's POV**  
I stared out of the balcony doors, leaving her side and going back over to the couch, sitting down. I rubbed my hands over my face and through my hair, hanging my head and not looking at her. "You don't understand, Sophie," I said softly as I heard her footsteps crossing towards me, standing at first, and then kneeling in front of me. "As soon as they see me, they're going to run away. This face has cursed me for years, and it has finally caught up with me."

"Erik," she said softly, placing her hands on my cheeks, looking into my eyes. "Do you remember your first day of teaching at Peabody High School? It was my first day of high school. I sat in your music class and when you entered the room, our entire class gasped in shock at the sight of your face. I was the only one who didn't make a noise. Even though the rest of us were shocked and dismayed of your face, it didn't faze you. You just set you things on the desk and began to teach. Once the initial shock had passed, everyone accepted and loved you. Those people will do the same if you just give them the chance. Come downstairs with me. Let's take some air on the boardwalk."

I looked at her, moving one of my hands to the left side of her face. I felt the slight hint of swelling, but I didn't indicate that I had. I figured that something happened after she had left, and I knew she didn't want to tell me about it. I sighed heavily, not thinking about what had just escaped from my lips. "I wish I could kiss you, just as I had done before."

She tensed, and jolted up, smoothing out the skirt of her dress. She crossed the room, looking out the balcony doors, watching all of the people. She folded her arms over her chest, waiting for me to say that we could go take a walk through the park. I didn't feel in my mind that I was ready, but I knew in my heart that I would have to face my fear and go outside. As I looked at her face, I could see the bruises that the make-up was covering up. Just as I knew I wouldn't be ready to face the world, I knew she wouldn't be ready to talk about what had happened after the press conference. I slowly stood, going to her and taking her hand. She turned, looking up at me. I could tell that she was struggling with her conscience with what I had said to her. "Let's go before I change my mind," I said softly, walking with her and leaving the office.

Every step that I took farther away from the office, I began to dread more and more as to what could happen. We stepped out of the passage and went down the service steps to leave the concert hall. I could hear Emma singing through the empty halls outside the theater as we left, but the image of her performing didn't stay in my mind for long. Sophie entwined her fingers with mine as we stepped outside, comforting me silently as we made our way to the main part of Phantasma. As I looked around, the children and adults smiled at me as they caught my eye, only a few of them waving. The teenagers said hello to me as we passed, and the employees and freaks bowed to me as if I were their king. We stopped as Gangle approached us, running excitedly and putting his hands up to stop us, panting heavily.

"Gangle, what's wrong," Sophie asked, dropping her hand from mine as to not start rumors about our relationship, business or otherwise.

"We are making so much money tonight. We have nearly doubled what we made at this time last year in just one night!"

I nearly fell over, taking Sophie's hand and gripping it at the shock. "Are you sure of this?"

"I've been going around, collecting and exchanging money all night with the vendors. Squelch has been counting it in the ticket office. And more and more people are continuing to flock in."

"Gangle, if you're right about this, we're going to make triple of what we made at this time last year by the end of the week. Keep doing what you're doing, and bring me the totals later this evening."

He nodded and took off back to the ticket office to deliver more money to Squelch. I turned to Sophie, smiling softly. "That is great news."

"Great news," she said, grinning from ear to ear. "That's fantastic news! You should be more excited! Live a little, you stick in the mud!"

"Forgive me, but I'm still not in the mood to 'live a little.' I'm just happy that no one has thrown a rotten tomato at me yet."

"You're being ridiculous. Your pride is just hurting because no one knew your secret of the scars that are on your face. I can't believe that you, of all people, thought that your patrons wouldn't be able to see the beauty underneath."

I looked at her, beginning to become annoyed with her optimism and her remarks. Just as I was about to say something, I felt a slight tug on the bottom of my suit jacket. I looked down, seeing a little girl standing there. She was little, a few years younger than Christine, but she didn't look lost. She looked up at me, her light green eyes shimmering with adoration. I bent down to her level, resting my arm on my knee that was up, looking at her. "Are you lost, little one," I asked softly, gazing at her with soft eyes. She shook her head, placing her hand on my cheek, running it slowly down my scars. I closed my eyes, about to push her hand away until she replied.

"No, sir, I'm not lost. I just wanted to meet you. Mr. Y, I don't think you're ugly or evil. I think you're handsome and very beautiful."

I sat there, completely stunned, unsure of what to do. This little girl, so articulate and caring towards me who was a complete stranger with the exception that she had probably seen me on the television, had said something that went through my soul and completely woke me up. I looked up, seeing her mother there behind her, gesturing with her camera, hinting that she wanted a picture. I smiled at the little girl, pulling her in for a hug as her mother snapped a couple of pictures of us. She embrace me as Sophie stood aside, watching on with her arms folded over her chest. I kissed the little girl on the temple, and whispered, "Thank you for your kind words,  _ma Cherie_. You just pulled me out of the darkness with your kindness and love." I slowly let her go and she waved goodbye as she took her mother's hand, disappearing into the crowd. Sophie returned to my side, smiling again, and I didn't mind at all.

"And you thought that your patrons wouldn't be able to see the beauty underneath."

She gave me a kiss on the cheek and disappeared into the crowd, leaving the park. I grinned, returning to the concert hall and began composing again.


	18. Jealousy Arises

**Two Weeks Later  
** **Sophia's POV**  
A couple of weeks had passed since that night at the park, and I had found myself engrossed in my work just I had done before. Only this time, my work was more laid back than what it had been. Erik had been taking it easy on me. I believed that this was because I was officially in his life even though it was a business relationship and he was afraid to see me leave again. He had regained his confidence and then some, working daily in his office and going through the crowds at Phantasma. Because of the growing crowds that were now attending Phantasma on a daily basis, they had to open the park earlier and extend Emma's performances from five to six daily shows. Not only that, but they were having a harder time keeping an eye on Christine. Erik decided one day that in order to keep Emma focused on her performances that I would watch Christine during the day and bring her back to Phantasma when I came in for my voice lesson. It was only for a couple of days a week, but I was happy to spend time with her. Christine was happy to spend time with me also, and had grown more comfortable around me over the passing weeks.

On this particular day, the sweltering June sun was beating down on Manhattan and it was too hot to lie on the sandy beach of Coney Island. Christine and I were at my hotel room, having lunch when Drake came by, and dropping off some mail that was left downstairs at the desk for me. He didn't say anything except 'hello' and 'goodbye,' leaving before I had a chance to look through it. Christine looked up from the couch before turning back to the movie.

"He doesn't say much, does he," she asked as she watched a movie, snacking on some potato chips.

"Not very often," I replied, glancing through my mail as I sifted through it. "He's going through a lot of things right now. I think that there are a lot of things that are scaring him and he just can't cope with it."

"I think Mom is going through the same thing. She has hardly said two words to Daddy in a few days. I think she's mad at him."

"Now, why in the world would she be mad at him for? He hasn't done anything wrong," I said, stopping at an envelope that was addressed to me and a guest from Chrissy. I turned it over, seeing the seal of our high school on the back, which could only mean one thing: class reunion.

"Honestly? I think she's mad because you're here. I overheard her talking to Nana the other day, and she's thinking that you and Daddy are spending too much time together."

"She has nothing to be worried about, Christine," I said softly, setting the mail aside and rejoining her on the couch, sipping at my water. "Your father and I are just very good friends."

"I wish you could tell her that. Maybe she'd believe you."

"I'll talk to her later this evening after my voice lesson with your father. I know your mother, Christine. She has never been one to become jealous of others."

She turned to look at me, lying back on the couch. "You are a really laid back person, not like any other celebrity that I've heard of."

"I hardly get angry at myself or others, and I had to work and train for my celebrity status. Others had to train too, but with some people, things were just handed to them and they became spoiled. Not only that, but remember to be grateful for the family and friends that you have in your life. They can come a long way to see you and they can even see you through the roughest times of your life."

Christine smiled and gave me a hug, which I took as a thank you for the advice. As we finished the movie, I thought back to that night a couple of weeks ago and what Erik had said to me.

"I wish I could kiss you, just has I had done before."

Those words haunted me, and I felt a twinge of guilt for not telling Emma. Even though we didn't kiss, I knew that the urge to fight our feelings for one another would become too difficult to resist and we were eventually going to end up together in some way or another. I had to try my best to fight it, no matter what happened to our relationship.

Later that day, I took Christine to the theater where I was supposed to meet Emma to switch off for my voice lesson. I took Christine down the backstage stairs and to Emma's dressing room, seeing her inside with the door open, touching up her stage make-up. I knocked politely, smiling at her as she turned in her chair, smiling a little back as she held out her arms to give Christine a hug. She looked up at me as Christine went to sit down in a chair, playing with a doll that she had left in there from a few nights before.

"You're a bit early, aren't you," she asked, turning back to look at her reflection as she continued to touch up her make-up. "I thought you're voice lesson wasn't until 7 tonight."

"It is, but we have a lot that we need to touch up on, so I wanted to get there early."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure. You're just as obsessed with your work as you always have been," she said coolly, glancing back at Christine, who took the hint and quietly left the dressing room. "So what are you two really doing every night?"

I blinked, completely dumbfounded by the question. "Excuse me?"

"What are you and my husband doing every night at your 'voice lessons'?"

"Oh, for God's Sake, Emma, you of all people should know better than that. There is nothing going on between Erik and me."

"Yeah, well, I imagine that the past will have its own way of repeating itself sooner or later."

I laughed, putting my hand to my forehead. "Emma, wake up. You're being incredibly paranoid and jealous."

"And what do I have to be jealous of, Sophie? You and your washed up career? The only reason why you're here is because you couldn't stand performing anymore and you figured that a freak show theme park was the best place to disappear to. Just face it, Sophie. You're getting old, you're not married, and the one man that you want to spend the rest of your life with is married to me and that just drives you crazy. It's kind of ironic; you couldn't have him then, and you can't have him now. I'm sure the pain is still the same, just ten times worse."

I looked at her, choosing not to fight, but her words got to me. "I would look in the mirror before you go pointing fingers about whose career is washed up," I said, walking away shortly after. I stomped upstairs, completely blinded by anger as I made my way to his office. I yanked on the statue, nearly pulling it from the wall as the door opened. I stomped inside, but I didn't make it to the stairs. I bumped into him as he was coming down the stairs. He saw that I was angry, so he put his hands on my arms to stop me, looking down at me as the door shut. "Sophie, what's the matter?"

"What's the matter? Why don't you go ask your wife? Oh, and maybe while you're down there, talk some sense into her and tell her that we're not having an affair!" I shoved him just enough so he let me go, but I didn't make it halfway up the stairs before he grabbed me again, pulling me to him.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. There's something else wrong. What is it?"

"It's nothing! Will you just let me go?!"

"Not until you calm down. Tell me what's wrong."

I sighed, not looking at him. I wriggled out of his arms, pushing the hidden door open and stepping out into the Grand Foyer. "I can't do this tonight. I'm not up for a voice lesson," I said, leaving without him giving me permission. I flew down the stairs, not stopping to greet the trio as they crossed my path, immediately leaving the concert hall. As the warm evening summer air hit my skin, I decided to not go back to the hotel. I walked down to the pier, taking off my shoes as I stepped off of the stairs, the warm sand going between my toes. I walked along the beach, soaking in the last remnants of the setting sun as the waves crashed upon the sand and my feet. Emma's words still echoed in my mind. I didn't understand what had made her change so much. We were such good friends before my career really took off, and I just didn't understand what would make her say such mean and hurtful things. I thought of Isabella and whether or not she was putting those words and thoughts into Emma's mind. She always had a way of doing that. I sighed, deciding to take refuge underneath the boardwalk below the booths of Phantasma, sitting in the sand, watching quietly as the sun began to slowly disappear. I pulled my knees up to my chest, hiding my face as I fought back the tears of stress, sadness and pain, reflecting on everything that had occurred over the last few weeks. It wasn't long before I felt a light tap on my shoulder. I looked up, seeing him standing above me.

"Little Sophia, always the one to hide her emotion except in private or on stage," he said as he sat down next to me, his legs stretched outward with his hands in the sand. "Are you ready to talk to me now?"

"No," I replied simply, not looking at him, focusing on the ocean.

"Well, I just came from Emma's dressing room. She told me what was said between you two." When I didn't reply, he continued. "I scolded her for it, but told her that I had canceled the voice lesson for tonight so I could spend some time with Christine. She's waiting for me with the trio at the office."

"Well, I'm glad that everything worked out for you."

"What she said really got to you, didn't it?"

"It's not just her. It's a lot of things that I'm going through right now. I know that Isabella doesn't want me here, and she's just dying to find an excuse to get me fired or to plant thoughts into Emma's head. I just can't stand it."

"What else can't you stand?"

I looked over at him, and then back out at the ocean as the last of the sun disappeared over the horizon. "Drake's drug use, his mood swings, the thought of the ten year class reunion coming up, and a lot of other things."

"Singing always provided you with that outlet where you were able to let everything go. Do you still let everything go when you sing?"

I nodded softly, laying my head on my knees. "Erik, why did you marry her?"

"I'm not ready to discuss that yet, and neither are you. Come back with me to the house tonight."

"Do you really think that's a wise thing to do, especially with what just happened?"

"I don't really care. You're my friend, and you're going through a rough time. Just spend some time tonight with Christine and I. Please?"

I sighed softly, looking over at him. "You're lucky I'm going through a rough time right now, otherwise I'd say no."

He smiled, standing up and offering his hand to me. Slowly, I placed my hand in his, and he lifted me up, holding my hand as we walked beneath the boardwalk so we wouldn't be seen. I absentmindedly entwined my fingers with his as we walked together. My heart ached for him, ached for me to tell him how I really felt about him and Emma's marriage, and ached for him to know that I still loved him. We didn't speak the rest of the way to the office, only stopping so I could put my shoes back on and to drop our hands at our sides. We stopped and picked up Christine at the office, the three of us walking back to the house. It was obvious that Christine was tired, so Erik decided that it should be an early night for her. He drew a bath for her, letting her bathe on her own while he opened a bottle of wine, pouring a couple of glasses.

"Christine has really grown fond of you over the last couple of weeks," he said as he handed me my glass, sitting down on the couch. I sipped at mine as I sat down in a chair opposite to the couch.

"I think she's fond of the idea of having a celebrity for a friend," I replied softly. "I'm growing quite fond of her as well, but we don't' know what's going to happen after I perform. I don't want her to get too attached to me and then I have to leave."

"Why would you leave?"

"I don't know. It's just something that I've been pondering for a while. I want to stay in New York, but who's to say that you'll see me after I perform?"

"I can make plans to see you, Sophie."

"Erik, you have your own life now, and that life has a wife and child in it. I can't come between that."

He sipped as his wine as he watched me, reading me as he always did before. "You were disappointed in me when I was wearing my mask to hide my face from the world. How can you judge me when you're wearing a mask yourself?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but Christine came into the room, dressed in a nightgown and ready for bed with the exception of brushing through her wet hair. She had a hair brush in her hand, going over to Erik.

"Daddy, will you brush my hair," she asked, handing the brush to him.

"You know I'm not good at that, darling," he said as he put his glass down, taking the brush in his hand. "But I suppose that I can try."

"I'll do it," I offered, offering the floor in front of the chair for Christine to sit down. I watched as she took the brush from Erik, coming over and handing it to me, sitting on the floor. "You have the same type of hair that I do," I said to her, gently brushing through it. "It's always hard to take care of."

"At least you don't have to style it before you go out or perform."

"You still have to fix it and make it look nice," I said with a smile. "One day, we'll have a girl's day and I fix your hair for you. Would you like that?"

"I would love that," she said excitedly, grinning at her father. Her father smiled back at her as I finished brushing her hair. "There you go, darling. All done."

"Thanks," she said, going over to join her father, who was now standing to take her upstairs to her room. I followed behind them, wanting to watch him with her. I knew that he was a good father. I could tell from the way that he lavished affection on her. He took her into her room, while I stood in the doorway, leaning against it. I looked around her room, which was a light purple and covered in posters of me. I saw a Steinway baby grand piano in one corner of the room, and various music books stacked beside it. I watched with my arms folded as he tucked her in, smiling down at her.

"So what will be tonight, sweetheart? Would you like to hear a story or a song?"

"Song," she replied, getting comfortable in her bed. He cleared his throat, brushing her hair from her eyes.

**Sleep**   
**Sleep tonight**   
**And may your dreams**   
**Be realized**   
**If the thundercloud**   
**Passes rain**   
**So let it rain**   
**Rain down on him**   
**Mmm...mmm...mmm...**   
**So let it be**

I smiled softly, watching as Christine began to drift off into sleep. I slowly stepped into the room, joining in and harmonizing with Erik, sitting on the opposite side of the bed.

_**Mmm...Mmm...mmm...** _   
_**So let it be** _   
_**Sleep** _   
_**Sleep tonight** _   
_**And may your dreams** _   
_**Be realized** _   
_**If the thundercloud** _   
_**Passes rain** _   
_**So let it rain** _   
_**Let it rain** _   
_**Rain on him** _

He looked over at me, and then looked down at Christine, who was sleeping soundly and peacefully. I stood up, quietly leaving the room with Erik trailing behind. I went to fold my hands in front of me, but he stopped me at the top of the stairs. He took my hand, pulling me to him, looking down at me. He cupped my chin in his hands, our faces only inches apart as he spoke.

"Sophie, there's something that I need to tell you," he said softly, moving his hand to my cheek.

"What is it," I asked softly, trying not to stare into his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, his phone rang. He stepped back, pulling it out of his pocket, seeing it was Emma calling. He put the phone up to his ear after he pressed the accept button, talking quietly. I went back downstairs, getting my things and slinging my bag over my shoulder. As I made my way to the door, he came downstairs, stopping me.

"Where are you going?"

"Sounds like Emma's on her way home. I don't want her to see me."

"But Sophie, I –"

"I'll see you later," I said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek, and leaving the house quickly. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. My heart was racing, pounding against my chest as it had done before when I was alone with him. These feelings were getting harder and harder to fight, and I knew the more time that we had spent together the more jealous that Emma would become. I had to try my best to fight it. Otherwise, we were all going to be in trouble.


	19. Old Friend and Past Lover

**Sophia's Dream**  
As I walked through the park, I carried the music with one hand and my purse in the other, letting the train of my dress trail behind me carefully. I glanced out at the ocean, longing to walk along the beach one night with Raoul and Gustave if we would have enough time to do so. While Gustave was spending the day with Raoul exploring the city, I decided to venture out on my own to explore the park and its secrets. It was beautiful, and on this particular day, it wasn't very busy. It must have been a maintenance day. Off in the distance, I could see a crew working on the new roller coaster, making sure that everything was working and in proper order. There were a few children riding the carousel, being watched by their parents while they were eating snacks that were sold at the park. I made my way to the concert hall, going inside through the stage door. I could hear the light singing and feet tapping on the stage as I drew closer to the theater. I heard a director tell someone to take five while he worked with the other dancers. I knew that I needed to find my dressing room, the stage manager, and take care of a few other things while I was there. Suddenly, I heard a voice behind me just as I appeared on stage.

"Heaven help me, could it be? No, it couldn't possibly!"

I turned around, seeing a young woman about my age with long blond hair, wearing a shawl and a spotted bathing suit costume. "Sorry," I began, looking at her curiously. "Do I –"

"Yes, I think you do!" she said excitedly, taking another step towards me.

"Have we…?"

"Go on, take a guess!"

"Wait, it can't be! Is it –"

"Yes!"

"Oh, my God," I said as I ran to her, setting the music on the piano that sat on the stage, taking her hands and moving them outward to get a good look at her. "I can't believe it's you!"

_Look at you, Christine  
_ _Regal as a queen and beautiful_

_And Meg, and you as well  
_ _I could hardly tell it's you!_

_My dear old friend  
_ _Can't believe you're here, old friend_

_After all this time_

_So glad you came_

_You look sublime_

_You look the same_

_My sweet old friend  
_ _Never thought we'd meet old friend_

"And what of your career?"

"Everything's great!"

_And isn't fate a splendid thing?_

_He brought me here_

"To see the sights?"

_And sing…_

She took a step back, aghast at the thought of me singing at Phantasma. "To sing?"

"And as a treat for my son, Gustave. You'll meet him later; he's with his father today."

"You mean…he hired you to sing here?"

"Well, yes. I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?"

"Well, no and yes. I'm sorry, but you can't be performing."

"Why?"

"Mainly dear, because so am I. I'm in fact the star, for heaven sakes." She turned her back to me for a second, her arms crossed, then turned back to me. She obviously looked hurt. "What are you to sing?"

"Just one little thing; an aria."

"Christine, honestly, it's a thrill just to share the bill with you."

I smiled, giving her a hug. "I hope you're not mad at me. This is just a one night performance. I promise that I won't steal your thunder from you."

"How could I be mad at you? We haven't seen each other for ten years. That would be ridiculous." She pulled back, looking at me, giving me a sweet smile. "I better get back to rehearsal. You better go before Mother sees you. She'll be angry."

"Wait, your mother's here too?"

"Yes, she's the stage manager. You better go."

I nodded, giving her another hug before I grabbed my music, returning back to the backstage area. As I went to find my dressing room, I felt a sharp yank on my arm and I was pulled into a secret corridor. I nearly screamed until I saw his mask in what little light was shining in the corridor. He placed his finger to his lips, telling me to be quiet until we heard the rehearsal resume. We were very close to each other in the tight corridor and I swallowed quietly as he lowered his finger, looking down at me.

"What are you doing here," he asked in a whisper, his arms dropping to his sides as he looked down at me. "Where's your son?"

"He's with…Raoul today. They're exploring the city," I replied quietly as I saw some dancers passing by. He took my hand and led me further down the corridor, deeper into the shadows. He opened a door and led me down a flight of stairs, opened another door and pulled me inside. I gasped quietly as I took in the sight of his office, darned in hues of blue and one candelabra sitting on the piano. He went over and lit the candles, leaning against the piano.

"So what are you doing here," he asked again, watching me as he folded his gloved hands together, watching me as I put the music to my chest, my arms wrapped around me.

"I came to find the dressing room, the stage manager, and…and…"

"And?"

I sighed heavily, looking down at the music and then back up at him. "This song…is what you say in it true?"

"What do you mean?"

"What you wrote. Is it true?"

He looked down at his hands, slowly removing the gloves and looking back up at me. "It's been ten years, and I love you more even now than I did then." He slowly began walking towards me. "Love like ours never dies, Christine. It only grows and grows and grows until we have to be together. We're destined to be together, Christine."

"You're picking one hell of a time to tell me this now, Erik," I said softly when I found him close to me again. My body began to quiver as I clenched the music against my chest, finding that I had backed myself against the wall of his office. "I'm married, and we have a child. It wouldn't be proper of me to leave that life."

"And I'm not asking you to. I'm just asking you to consider me," he said softly, slowly moving his hand to my cheek, caressing it softly. "Can you really forget that night? How we lost ourselves in each other? Our souls, minds, and bodies entwining in throws of love and passion?" His hand moved to the back of my neck, pulling me to him. I dropped the music as my arms dropped to my sides. My body was pressed against his, and my breath seemed to leave me. He looked into my eyes before kissing me so softly upon my lips, resting his forehead against mine. "From the look in your eyes, I know that you don't want to forget that night, and you can't forget that night."

"Oh, Erik," I said softly, my hands moving to his hips. "Why did you leave me that night? We could have went away and been together. Why?"

"Because you know what was in store of us if we did do that. We would have been on the run for the rest of our lives until we found a place where we wouldn't have been found. I left you because I knew that you would have a better life with Raoul. Don't you have a better life?"

"No," I whispered, tears coming to my eyes. "He's a drunk, he gambles, and he doesn't spend any time with our son except when I ask him to. We're not in love anymore. We haven't been intimate since our wedding night." I blinked, blushing darkly. "And I can't believe I just told you that."

"Christine, if you don't love him anymore, why haven't you divorced him?"

"Because I'm a Countess, and we're a noble family. I would have been shunned for leaving him, and Gustave would lose his status too."

"So suffering through a loveless marriage is better than spending your life with someone you love?"

"You have to understand my position, Erik."

"I do; I'm just saying…after all of this is done, please consider me." He leaned down, kissing me again. "Or…you could consider me now."

"Have an affair? Are you insane?"

"Well, we do have the perfect place for it. We can meet in secret. No one would have to know."

"Erik, please, we can't do this."

"You mean that you can't. Or won't."

"Erik, please –"

He kissed me, more passionately than before, pulling me closer to him, pressing my body harder against his. I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck tightly as he lifted me up, carrying me to the desk that was in the corner of the room. The only light we had was the dim candlelight from the candelabra, but it was just enough to see each other. He kissed me again, slowly pushing his tongue into my mouth as he lowered me to the desk. I fumbled with the buttons of his long coat as I massaged my tongue against his, pushing it off his shoulders as he worked on the buttons of my dress. It seemed like he had no trouble at all. Before I realized it, he had pulled the front of my dress and exposed the corset that I was wearing. He moved his lips down to my neck and kissed my skin softly while I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him as close as I could, lifting myself up and letting my dress fall to the floor. He looked down at me, taking in the sight of me in my corset and slip. He took my hands, kissing them softly, then leaned in and kissed me again.

"Are you okay," he asked softly, moving his lips back to my neck to resume his work. I bit my lip, suppressing a moan as he sucked on my skin lightly. I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing along his jawline.

"I'm still not sure about this, but…it's hard for me to say no."

"Christine, if you don't want to…"

"But that's the thing; I do want to. I'm just nervous. I haven't been intimate in so long…" I was embarrassed, my cheeks turning a crimson red, as I looked at him. I turned away, but he placed his fingers beneath my chin, turning my face back to look as his.

"How can I make you more comfortable?"

I blinked, staring at him. "You want to make me comfortable?"

"Of course. I don't want you to be scared of me, or scared of being intimate with me. I won't let anything happen to you that you don't want to happen to you. I just want you to trust me…like you did that night."

I looked around. I knew that we were completely alone, but I wanted to be certain. "No one is going to come down here, are they?"

"They know that I need to have knowledge of them coming before I give them permission."

"What about Madame Giry?"

He blinked and pulled back slightly, but still remained close to me. "The door locks automatically from the inside. The only way that she could get in is if I left the door unlocked on purpose or if she had a key. I took her key away the other night because I feel that I can't trust her right now."

"Can you trust Meg?"

He sighed softly, taking my hand. "Christine, it's been ten years since you've seen them. I'm going to give you a bit of a warning. The Meg that you knew is no longer there. Meg is now a star, not quite a diva, but feels that she has a lot of power and at times requires a lot of attention. She has many admirers, but she hasn't married. As for Antoinette, she has become greedy and more conniving over the passing years. Beware of both of them, Christine. They will try and bring you down before you even perform."

"How could people change that drastically in ten years?"

"You'd be surprised of people are capable of, or what they can become capable of in ten years. Just promise me that you'll be careful."

"I will, and I want you to be careful," I replied, kissing him gently. He smiled as he kissed me back, moving his hand slowly up my leg, then my thigh.

"So, how far would you like to take this?"

"Just kiss me," I said softly, leaning forward to kiss him. His lips met mine, kissing me gently. His hand moved further up my thigh as we deepened the kiss, and I could feel where his hand was going. As he drew closer and closer to my heat, I parted my lips and slowly pushed my tongue into his mouth. He let out a low groan, his hand lightly massaging my core while his other hand moved to the small of my back, holding me in place. I moaned lightly, kissing him again as I felt one of his fingers slide inside slowly. I moaned again at the gentle pace, most of it muffled by his kisses as he held me to him. Slowly, the motions began to quicken and so did my breathing. I wrapped my arms around him, hiding my face in his neck as my moans grew louder. I felt myself drawing closer and closer to the edge as I moaned out his name.

"Erik…"

I awoke with a start in the middle of the night, moaning into my pillow while my legs twisted themselves as I curled up in a ball. My whole body quivered as I became aware of my surroundings, groaning when I realized that it was only a dream. I slowly brought my head up, looking around to make sure that no one was around, throwing my head back down on the pillow. As I stared at the wall, I heard my phone beep. I reached for the night stand, grabbing my phone and sliding my thumb over the screen, opening a text message from Emma. I blinked a couple of times, reading over it about ten times before it finally registered.

_Stay away from my husband._

This could only mean one thing. She was drunk, or she was fighting with Erik. I forwarded the message to him, giving a warning message before her message.

_Look out for Emma. I think she might be drunk. She just sent me this._

I set my phone back on the night stand, and resumed staring at the wall. I hated that the dream had to end like that, but maybe it was just one of those things that wasn't meant to happen. Just like Erik and I ending up together.


	20. That Long Ago Night

**Erik's Dream  
** She had come to Phantasma on her own. I had her in my embrace and she was mine. I didn't want to let her go. As I caressed her, I could tell that she hadn't been intimate in a very long time, and she was telling the truth. She didn't love Raoul any longer; otherwise, they would have been intimate over the past ten years. Even though she didn't say it outright, I could tell that she loved me. As she began to reach her climax, I quickened the pace of my hand, holding onto her tightly as her body tensed and seized, her hands gripping onto the lapels of my shirt. She panted into my shoulder, her body slowly relaxing as she held onto me, kissing the skin of my neck. I looked down at her, slowly removing my hand, but she reached down, gripping my wrist to stop me. I blinked, watching her as she slowly brought her head up, her eyes meeting mine. She leaned forward, kissing me so gently, afraid to let the passion to take her over again, just has it had done before. Then, she spoke, her voice quiet but pleading.

"More."

I swallowed hard. It was going to be hard for me to oblige, especially since I was already yearning to break free and take her as I did before. I was afraid that because she hadn't been intimate in so long that I would hurt her. However, I knew that she needed it as much as I did. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," she replied, her voice a little stronger than it was before. "I need you."

That was all I needed to hear. I kissed her again, removing my hand completely as I wrapped my arms around her, picking her up from the desk and carrying her over to the couch on the opposite side of the room. She kissed me back, feeling more confident than she had been, beginning to slowly unbutton my vest and then my shirt as I laid her down. I slowly loosened the strings in the back of her corset, watching as her gorgeous body came into full view. I gently kissed her soft skin as I pulled down the slip and the corset, her body beginning to react fervently to my affection. She finished with my shirt, slowly sliding it off of my body, her hands slowly traveling up my chest. I kissed her lips again, my hands slowly running along her curves, taking in the feel of her body once again. She kissed me back, much deeper than the kiss that I had given her. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me down to her, sliding her tongue into my mouth. I cupped a breast and her whole body arched to me, as if I had commanded it. I stopped, pulling back, breathing hard as my bulge fought against the fabric of my pants, throbbing more and more, begging to be released. She sat up, afraid that she had done something wrong.

"What's wrong? What did I do?"

"It's nothing," I said in a strained voice, my hand gripping the top of the couch. I watched as her eyes traveled downward, widening at the sight of me. She could tell that I was in pain. Slowly, she reached forward, her hands slowly unbuttoning and unzipping my pants. I swallowed hard as she reached down, her hand wrapping around me and releasing me. I let out a low growl as she teased me, my eyes closed. Suddenly, her free hand reached up, slowly removing my mask. I didn't stop her; I didn't want to stop her. She leaned forward, kissing the scars that lay upon my face as I slowly opened my eyes, looking at her.

"I'm surprised at myself," she said softly, kissing me gently before laying back down on the couch.

"What do you mean?"

"I would have never done…what I just did with him."

"You mean…touch a man?"

"Yes. I'm sorry; this is all new to me all over again. I'm not sure of what to do, and how to do it."

"Do you remember that first night we had together? Neither one of us knew what to do. We just let our bodies find their way on their own. We can just let that happen again, if you would like."

She swallowed, and then did something I would have never expected. She kissed me, and as she did so, she wrapped her hand around me again, moving it slowly over me. I groaned against her lips as I kissed her back, my arms dropping to my sides. She took one of my hands, allowing me to sit on the couch. As I leaned back against the armrest, her motions began to quicken, but only slightly. I closed my eyes, my head tilting back as her free hand ran down my chest slowly then down to my thigh, massaging my skin. I groaned again as I throbbed, begging for more, but I was afraid to ask. Soon, it was if she read my mind. Slowly, she removed her hand and straddled my hips, guiding me to enter her. My hips jerked upward as she gasped at the feel of me inside of her, the walls stretching and accommodating me. She stayed still for a moment, and then gently began to move. I panted softly, my hands moving to her hips to help guide her over me as she moved. My head tilted back against the arm of the couch, listening to her little moans and breathing as I continued to let her do as she pleased. I began to move my hips in sync with her and she placed her hands on my chest for balance, gaining speed over me. I felt like I was on the edge, gritting my teeth as I fought it back, groaning as her walls tightened around me and her climax coming. I gripped her hips, moving her faster and faster over me, and I soon realized that I wouldn't be able to hold back much longer. I groaned loudly, feeling her release.

"You are such a bastard," a slurred voice yelled at me as I heard a glass bottle smashing against the wall. I shot up out of bed, turning on a lamp as I looked at the foot of the bed, seeing Emma. I blinked, rubbing my eyes, seeing the time on the alarm clock reading 3:30 AM. "It's not enough that you have voice lessons with her, but you have to dream about her too?!"

I sighed, looking at her as I pulled the covers up over my hips, hiding the obvious hard-on that I had. "Where have you been?"

"Why do you care?!"

"Will you keep your voice down? You're going to wake up Christine."

"I don't care who I wake up! Why do you have to dream about her?!"

"I wasn't dreaming about her," I said, leaning back against the headboard, watching her as she continued to lean back and forth, ready to fall any minute.

"You had to have been dreaming about someone to give you such a raging boner that you were groaning in your sleep. So who was it if not her?"

"Emma, you're being ridiculous. You're drunk, and you're in no mood to talk. Go get yourself some water, and sleep off what you can. I'll talk to you afterwards." I laid back down, turning off the lamp and closing my eyes. I heard her stumbling over me as I sighed heavily, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy. I could smell the alcohol on her breath as she leaned over me, poking me in the head with her finger.

"I'm not done with you yet. Wake up, you asshole."

"Emma, I swear to God, if you don't get out of my face, you're going to regret it."

"What makes her so much better than me? Why can't you love me like you love her?"

"As I said before, you're in no condition to talk about this, and I'm not going to talk to you about this. Now, this is the last time I'm telling you. Go sleep out on the sofa downstairs. Take some water to bed with you. When you wake up, I'll talk to you then."

"Fine, I'll listen to you," she said, stumbling towards the door. "Don't expect me to be here when you wake up in the morning."

"Whatever you say, dear," I said as she opened and slammed the door shut. I listened as she stumbled down the hallway and down the stairs, waiting until I didn't hear anything anymore. I sat up, running my hands through my hair as I sighed heavily, wondering why she had to go get drunk because of her jealousy. I heard my phone buzz on the table beside the bed. I reached over, sliding my thumb over the screen, surprised that she didn't take the phone with her. I saw that it was a text from Sophie. I read it, then the message that she had forwarded to me. I sighed, shaking my head, typing a reply.

_Yeah, thanks for the warning, but she's already been here. And yes, she's drunk._

I hit send, knowing that I wouldn't be able to sleep. Almost immediately, a reply came through from Sophie. It was obvious that she wasn't sleeping either. I opened the message, reading it quietly.

_Is she okay?_

_I don't know. She's pretty drunk. I can't talk to her while she's in this condition. Hopefully, she sobers up within a couple hours._

_Maybe I shouldn't be here. I think we need to void the contract. This is causing too many problems between you and your family. I don't want to be considered as the other woman._

I sighed, taking a few moments to listen to the house. When I didn't hear anything, I got up quietly, going out to our balcony, shutting the door and calling her. She answered with a soft hello, and from the background noise, I could tell that she was outside as well.

"You're not the other woman. You know that."

She sighed quietly. "Sure seems like I am. Erik, I have a bad feeling about this. I don't think that this is going to end well for anyone involved in this mess."

"Do you really think that this is a mess?"

"No, but…"

"Sophie, we're going to do this. We're going to get through this just like we've gotten through everything else. You're going to be great when you perform."

"You should schedule the performance soon. The sooner we get this done, the sooner everything can go back to normal."

"Sophie, if you recall, in your contract the performance date is to be decided by me, and I feel that you're not ready to perform yet."

"Fine, but you need to straighten things out with Emma. How about one weekend I take Christine off of your hands and you and Emma get away? You just let me know when."

I sighed, looking out at the ocean. "I'd rather spend a weekend with you."

After I said that, there was a moment of silence, then a little quiver in her voice. "As much as I would love that, we can't. You need to fix your marriage, Erik. I can't come first anymore."

I swallowed, afraid of the answer to this next question, but I knew that I had to ask it. "Are you still having the dreams? Is that what's keeping you up tonight?"

"What do you think?"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, not right now," she said, her voice kind of wandering. "Erik, I'm really tired. Are you guys going to be okay tonight?"

"I don't know. I'm hoping that she's passed out by now. Will you stay up with me?"

"I can try, but if you want, I'll keep my phone on and you can text me whenever you have talked to Emma."

"I'd like that."

"Okay, I'm dying here. I really need to get back to sleep."

"I understand. Sophie?"

"Yes?"

"I love you."

At first, there was silence, and then a sigh. "I know." After that, the line went dead. I sighed heavily, going back into the bedroom and laying back down. It took me a while to fall asleep, but Sophie's image never left my mind.


	21. The Staff Meeting

**Sophia's POV  
** Over the last few days, Emma hadn't said two words to anyone with the exception of her mother and the cast. I wasn't sure if it was because of the jealousy or because she was afraid that she had embarrassed herself in front of other people at the park. Erik said that she had gone into the city after her last performance and got drunk at a few places there. It was amazing that she didn't get into an accident on the way back to the house. Although she wasn't happy about us working together, I continued to fill the obligations of my contract. Erik and I continued to work together and I continued to babysit Christine when I was needed. Erik had texted me the night before and told me that he was having a staff meeting in the morning, and he wanted me to join them. That morning, Drake and I were having breakfast together in my room as I sorted through the mail, staring at the invitation of the ten year class reunion. Drake was in a good mood this morning, although we still weren't talking very much. I handed him the invitation as I sipped at my coffee, watching as he took it. ****  


"Have you received an invite yet," I asked, taking a bite out of a piece of bacon. He opened the envelope, reading over the invite.

"Yes, I did. I'm not sure if I'm going to go yet or not," he replied, handing the invitation back to me. "Are you going to go?"

"I don't know. I'd like to. I haven't seen Chrissy in so long. It would be good to see her, along with everyone else that we graduated with."

"I still think that you need to go see your parents," he said as he refilled his coffee, using a packet of Splenda and a little bit of cream to sweeten it. "It's been ten years, Sophie. I think they're pretty much over it by now."

"You remember my parents. They didn't really give a shit about anything I did."

"I know, but they are still your parents, and they're going to be the only parents you get. It's time to bury the hatchet."

I sighed heavily, checking my watch. It was time for me to go. I stood up, finishing my coffee and bacon as I slipped my shoes on. "I'll think about it. Besides, Davenport is just upstate. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to make an appearance at the reunion, or at my parents."

"See? I knew that you would eventually come to your senses. Have a good meeting. I'll see you later."

I nodded as I grabbed my bag, leaving the hotel quickly. I took a cab to Coney Island, since the trio was preparing for the meeting with Erik. I rubbed my eyes tiredly. I hadn't been sleeping well. The dreams were getting more and more vivid and increasingly sexual. Talk about repression. I'm sure that if I was having dreams like that, Erik was probably having them too. As the cab slowed and came to a stop at the Phantasma entrance, I paid him and got out, smoothing out the skirt of my dress. At the gate, I was unexpectedly greeted by Emma, who was waiting there for me with Christine. I smiled at the two, accepting a hug from Christine as we began to walk through the park to get to the concert hall. Christine came to my side, holding my hand as we walked. I gave her hand a gentle squeeze, turning to glance at Emma as she began to speak.

"So, Erik told me that he wants to get away for a weekend together," she said softly, her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "He said that he got the idea from you."

"Yeah, I did. I'm sorry for all of this trouble that I'm causing. God knows that this isn't what I intended to do when I came here."

"Our marriage is falling apart, Sophie. However, I'm not blaming you. There have always been a lot of problems between us. I guess they're just getting harder and harder to bury."

"Maybe the weekend away will help. Fourth of July is coming up. Maybe you could get away then."

"Who would run the park if we're gone? Erik has such a big role to fill here, and he does so much for everyone here."

"Your mother will be here, and so will I, along with the trio. Don't worry, Emma. The park will be in good hands."

She smiled, patting my hand. "You're such a good friend, Sophie. I'm sorry I've been so rude lately. It's just that after the press conference –"

"Say no more. It's in the past."

She smiled again, wrapping her arm around me as we walked together. "So, how are you and Christine getting along?"

"Good. I'm happy to help you guys out with watching her. She's a sweet little girl."

"Yes, she is," she said as we came up to the theater. Christine led us in, racing us up the stairs to Erik's office. We followed slowly behind, entering the office and going to separate sides of the table. Emma took a place beside Erik, who was sitting at the head of the table, and her mother sat on the opposite side of her. I took a seat beside Gangle, who was sitting at the end of the table that was closest to me when I came into the office, setting my bag on the ground beside me.

"He's going to need your support today," Gangle whispered to me as I slowly brought myself back up, setting my pen on the table. I glanced at him, setting my hands in my lap.

"Why," I asked as Erik cleared his throat, signaling that he was ready to begin.

"You'll find out," he replied as everyone quieted down, their attention turned to Erik.

"Everyone, thank you for joining me for this meeting," Erik began as he gave Christine a toy and she wandered over to the couch nearby, playing with it while we were in the meeting. "I know that we usually have a monthly staff meeting at the end of the month, but this time I couldn't wait. We have some good news that we would like to share concerning the profits that we have earned since we opened at the end of May. Gangle, I'll let you have the floor."

Gangle nodded and stood up, clearing his throat. "Well, since we opened on Memorial Day weekend, we had our usual crowd, making the usual amount of money throughout the first week or so. When we announced that Sophia was going to be performing here at a later date, our attendance spiked, along with our profits. So far this month, we have nearly doubled what we made at the end of the season last year. Not only that, but our crowds have been more supportive with our performers of certain qualities, which I think was greatly because of Sophia and what she said at the press conference. We've had to hire a few more people to cover the longer hours, and we've had more and more performers coming to us looking to be a part of this park. I know that it's early for me to say this, but I think that this will be our most successful season yet."

"Thank you, Gangle," Erik said with a smile as Gangle took his seat once more, nodding to him as Erik continued. "I believe that we are in for a fantastic season, and with that being said, I propose that we extend the season until Halloween."

"What," Emma and Isabella said in unison, their hands placed firmly on the table. I was taken aback by this; I would have thought that the two of them would have been excited about the idea of extending the season, but they both looked livid.

"Erik, we've talked about this before," Emma continued, folding her hands in front of her. "We cannot afford to extend the season, especially through Halloween. You know that the crowd is going to die down after Labor Day, and there won't be anyone to watch Christine when she gets out of school."

"We'll only be open on the weekends; Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Not only that, but do you realize how many people would come out on weekends to be scared by some of our performers? They would love it! We could have haunted houses, and just think of the shows that we could stage at the concert hall."

"We just shouldn't do it," Isabella interjected, glancing at Emma before turning back to Erik. "It's too risky."

"I know that you were going to say that, so I thought I would propose this. A Monster's Ball."

"And what, pray tell, is a monster's ball?"

"A Monster's Ball is just that; a society party that is themed as a masquerade ball. It would be open to the public, with special invites to your society friends. We would have it right out here on the pier and within the concert hall if it should happen to rain."

"No, absolutely not," Isabella said firmly. "The high society people of New York City would die before they come to a sordid thing like that."

"Emma," Erik said, turning his attention to her, "what do you think?"

"Erik, I love you and I think that it's a lovely idea. I just don't think that we can afford it and I agree with my mother. Nobody from her side of the city will come to it."

"Well, I know that the trio is on my side with this," he said, putting his hands on the table, turning his lgaze to me. "Sophie, what is your opinion?"

"Why would you be asking for her opinion," Isabella asked, watching as Erik's gaze was focused on me. "She is only here to perform, not to be part of the staff meetings."

"Because I asked her to be and it is in her contract," Erik replied simply, his gaze still focused on me. "Sophie, I would like your opinion please."

I looked around the room as all of their eyes were on me. Even Christine was watching me, waiting for me to answer. I cleared my throat, trying not to look at Isabella, who was shooting daggers at me while she watched me. "Well," I began, wringing my hands together nervously while Erik took his seat at the head of the table. "I think that the Monster's Ball would be an excellent idea. Autumn in New York is always warm, so it would be perfect to have it outside, but to give it a more masquerade feel, you could have it here inside the concert hall. If you would like, I can help you plan it and I'll continue to watch Christine during the Halloween season."

"You have your performance to consider, Miss Day," Isabella said, completely dismissing the idea and ignoring me. "I believe that this discussion is over."

"It is not over," I said, standing up and walking over behind the trio, putting my hands behind my back. "You are honestly the most closed-minded, bitter, stubborn woman I have ever met in my life. We're doing the Monster's Ball, and you're going to chew it up and swallow it because you know that these three are on our side."

"I have never been so insulted in my life," she said, standing up and coming to me. "You need to learn your place. You are an employee here, not an owner and not Erik's wife. You have no say here, and I suggest that you leave."

"Get the hell out of my face, Isabella, before I do something that I regret."

"Both of you, just stop it!" Erik shouted, coming over between us. "I'm with Sophie; we're doing the Monster's Ball, and that's the end of it."

With that, Emma stood up, not able to take anymore, leaving the office. Christine didn't follow, deciding to stay with Erik. Isabella shook her head, staring at Erik.

"Well, I hope that you're proud of yourself," she said, moving to follow Emma. "I hope that your little ball fails and your park crumbles."

With that, she left and the trio slowly filed out, taking Christine with them. I sighed heavily, sitting in a chair, rubbing my eyes. "Erik, I'm so sorry. I didn't know that they would react like that."

"It's not your fault. They have always hated that idea, with the exception of the trio. Thank you for supporting me."

"I love the idea," I said, standing up and getting my things. "I think that it's perfect, especially for our park."

He wheeled around, looking at me. "Our park?"

"What?"

"You said 'our park,'" he said softly, coming over to me. I took a step back, moving away from him.

"I meant the park. Sorry," I said, moving to leave.

"Please, don't leave me," he said, grabbing my hand to stop me. "I want you to stay with me. Besides, you have a voice lesson."

"Erik, I need to leave, please. I need to be alone."

"Jesus Christ, Sophie," he said, pulling me to him, causing me to drop my bag. "How long do you think you're going to be able to fight this? You know that this can't last forever."

"We're going to have to make it last forever because you're married," I replied, getting my stuff and heading for the door. "I'll be back later."

I ran down the stairs, stopping only after I got to the Grand Staircase, sitting down at one of the stairs. I placed my head in my hands, sighing heavily. I knew that we weren't going to make it through the summer. Not like this.


	22. Forever and Ever

**Sophia's POV  
** Later that evening, I was sitting in my hotel room, watching sappy romantic movies and getting a good buzz from some wine. I was in the process of ordering dinner, flipping through the room service menu and guides, trying to decide what I wanted to eat even though I wasn't really hungry. I ordered a pizza when I couldn't come to a decision, figuring that it would a quick dinner and I could gorge on what was left later. As I sat, watching  _Moulin Rouge_  and going into a zombie-like state, my mind traveled to him, like it was doing all night. God, how I loved him, but I knew I was ruining everything between him and Emma. I had to continue to fight what I felt for him, even though it killed me to do so. I downed the rest of my wine, and as I moved to get off the couch, I went back down quickly, my head swimming from the alcohol. I took a moment, regaining myself and making a second attempt to stand up. I rose up slowly, making my way to the bar to refill my glass. As I poured the last of the Moscato into the glass, there was a soft knock on the door. "Finally," I said to myself, getting my cash out of my wallet and going to the door, opening it. "Oh, for heaven sakes," I said, putting my hand on my hip, standing at the door. "Are you delivering pizzas part time now?" ****  


He chuckled, coming inside, putting the pizza on the bar, and seeing the empty bottle of wine. "I wanted to see you. I see you've been coping with your feelings in your own way. Feeling any better?"

"Erik, you shouldn't be here," I said, crossing the room after I closed and locked the door, going to the bar and getting my glass of wine. "What would Emma say?"

"She'd say a lot of the same thing a hundred times in ten different ways," he replied, taking the wine away from me. "You've had enough of this."

"Give me my drink," I said, reaching for it. As I did so, he placed the glass out of my reach, taking my hand, pulling me to him. "What are you doing?"

"Stopping you from damaging yourself," he said softly, cupping my face in his hands. "Why can't we just do what we want to do, Sophie? You know that this is bound to happen. Why don't we just let it happen?"

"Because you're married," I said, pulling back and going back to the couch. "I don't want to be considered the other woman with you. I'm scared about my feelings for you and yet, I know that I won't feel the same about another man the way that I feel when I'm with you."

He nodded, sitting down and taking my hand. "No one would have to know. And we don't have to do anything that you don't want to do."

"That's going to be hard for me."

"Let's just try it and see what happens. Please, Sophie. I can't imagine another moment without you."

I sighed. "You might as well stay. Help yourself to the pizza that you probably bought. I'm going to turn  _Moulin Rouge_  back on."

He lifted my hand, kissing the top of it before getting up to get the pizza box and a bottle of water. I reached for the remote, pressing play on my movie, lying down on the couch. He placed the pizza box on the coffee table, taking his seat on the opposite end, lifting my feet and placing them in his lap. He leaned forward slightly, opening the pizza box and handing me a slice. I took it, nibbling on it as the movie went through the first fifteen minutes. We sat there in silence, just watching the movie, his hand moving up and down my ankle slightly. "Emma's wanted to do a Moulin Rouge themed weekend at Phantasma for years. What do you think?"

"I think it would be fun, just as long as you're not promoting prostitution," I said, sitting up and putting my slice down, swiping his water and taking a drink. He chuckled, watching me as I laid back down, my feet going back into his lap. He started rubbing my feet absentmindedly, watching the movie. "I don't know if I see Emma in a tight Nicole Kidman corset though."

"I see you in the diamonds one," he said with a smirk, tickling my feet slightly. I giggled, sitting up quickly.

"Quit flirting. It's unbecoming of such a powerful boss."

He smirked, leaning back, glancing at the screen. It was the can-can, just before Satine made her first appearance. "Would you sing it for me?"

"Sing what?"

" _Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend_. Come on, you know you want to. You're fighting singing along with the movie as we speak."

"You're full of it tonight, you know that? And no, I'm not going to do that."

"Yes, you are. Because I know you can't resist."

"Yes, I can. I won't sing it."

"Yes, you will," he said, pulling me unexpectedly into his lap, grinning. "Sing it for me and I'll leave you alone for the rest of the night."

"That's an empty promise."

"How do you know?"

"Because I know you, and I'm currently in your lap. And you're still flirting with me."

He chuckled, kissing my cheek. "You're not going to let down your guard, are you?"

"Nope, not any time soon."

"I still want you to sing for me. Will you please?"

"Well, maybe I could sing a little bit. I suppose that it couldn't hurt." I cleared my throat and sang along to the movie, moving off of his lap and beside him on the couch. He smiled as he watched me, gesturing me to dance, but I shook my head with a smirk. I knew that he wanted me to move around and be sexy, but I was going to fight it for as long as I could. The alcohol was wearing off, and as the song ended, I ended up with my head in his lap, looking up at him. He smirked, clapping softly, looking down at me.

"Bravo, darling," he said, leaning down to kiss me. I bolted upright, staring at him. He leaned back, glancing at me. "Shall we watch the movie?"

I nodded, turning my attention back to the movie. "I think that if you have the Moulin Rouge weekend that Emma will yield and let you keep the park open through Halloween."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well, it's kind of Emma's nature. She got it from her mom. It's kind of like 'if you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours.' You know what I mean?"

"Unfortunately, I do. Emma's mother loaned me the money to start this park. I still have yet to repay her. Hopefully, after this year, I'll be able to pay her back and she'll leave me alone."

"Good luck with that. She's a leech."

"I've discovered that," he replied softly, watching the movie. It had now come to the part where Christian was trying to recite his poem to Satine. I grinned, turning to him. He noticed my look, glancing at me. "What?"

"It's your turn," I said with a grin, leaning back against the opposite side of the couch. He chuckled, shaking his head.

"No, I don't think so."

"Why not? I sang for you; the least you could do is sing for me."

"Because I know that you won't be able to resist my sexy charms."

"Try me," I smirked, watching as he stood up, clearing away the stuff that was on the coffee table. Suddenly, he burst into song, just as Christian did to Satine, taking me completely by surprise.

**My gift is my song…**  
 **And this one's for you**  
 **You can tell everybody**  
 **That this is your song**  
 **It may be quite simple but now that it done**  
 **Hope you don't mind**  
 **I hope you don't mind**  
 **That I put down in words**  
 **How wonderful life is**  
 **Now you're in the world** ****  


He crossed the room, coming over to me and taking my hand, slowly lifting me off the couch, pulling me into a stance and slowly dancing with me.

**Sat on the roof**  
 **And I kicked off the moss**  
 **Well, some of these verses**  
 **Well, they got me quite cross**  
 **But the sun's been kind**  
 **While I wrote this song**  
 **It's for people like you that**  
 **Keep it turned on** ****  


**So excuse me for forgetting**  
 **But these things I do**  
 **You see, I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue**  
 **Anyway the thing is**  
 **What I really mean**  
 **You've got the sweetest eyes**  
 **I've ever seen…** ****  


He smiled, spinning me outward and back into him, dipping me before dancing with me again.

**And you can tell everybody**  
 **This is your song**  
 **It may be quite simple but**  
 **Now that it's done**  
 **Hope you don't mind**  
 **I hope you don't mind**  
 **That I put down in words**  
 **How wonderful life is**  
 **Now you're in the world** ****  


He spun me and dipped me one last time, his lips close to mine. I breathed slowly, holding onto him as I resisted the urge to kiss him. I swallowed, gazing up into his eyes, whispering to him softly.

"I love you. I am so in love with you."

He smiled softly, kissing my forehead as he slowly pulled me up, leaning down to kiss me. I pulled back, moving back over to the couch and sitting down. He sighed, running his hand through his hair. "If you're in love with me, why don't you kiss me?"

"Because I respect the sanctity of marriage, even if you don't."

"If you only knew what our marriage is really like, you'd see things differently."

"Then why don't you get divorced?"

"Because I have a debt to pay."

I blinked, standing up and going over to him. "Just because you have a debt to pay doesn't mean that you have to stay married to Emma."

"You don't understand, Sophie."

"Then explain it to me."

"Not now," he said, taking my hand. "Why can't you let yourself love me?"

"I do love you. I just can't act on what I want because…I just can't. It's not right. Erik, we have to try and resist. We must, even though it's killing us to do so."

"I bet I can get you to kiss me by the end of the night."

"Oh? How so?"

He smirked, glancing at the movie, and taking my hand.

**All you need is love…**

I laughed. "No, I don't think so."

**All you need is love…**

"I'm not going to sing it!"

**All you need is love…**

I sighed, shaking my head and pulling my hand away.

_Love is just a game_

**I was made for loving you baby**  
 **And you were made for loving me** ****  


I laughed, going over to the opposite side of the couch.

_The only way of loving me, baby_  
 _Is to pay a lovely fee_ __  


He smirked, cutting over and facing me, placing his hand on my cheek.

**Just one night**  
 **Give me just one night** ****  


_There's no way_  
 _Because you can't pay_ __  


**In the name of love**  
 **One night in the name of love** ****  


I pulled back, cutting over to the balcony.

_You crazy fool_  
 _I won't give into you_ __  


**Don't…leave me this way**  
 **I can't survive without your sweet love**  
 **Oh, baby**  
 **Don't leave me this way** ****  


I turned my back to him, gazing out at Phantasma from the closed balcony doors, sighing softly.

_You think that people would have heard enough_  
 _Of silly love songs_ __  


**I look around and see**  
 **It isn't so**  
 **Oh, no** ****  


_Some people want to fill the world_  
 _With silly love songs_ __  


He came up behind me, placing his hands on my shoulders.

**Well, what's wrong with that?  
** **I'd like to know  
** ' **Cause here I go again…** ****  


He grinned and picked me up, cradling me to him and carrying me around the room.

**Love lifts us up where we belong…**

I squealed, squirming. "Put me down, Erik! Put me down!"

**Where eagles fly**  
 **On a mountain high** ****  


I wriggled my way out of his arms, turning around to face him.

_Love makes us act like we are fools_  
 _Throw our lives away for one happy day_ __  


**We could be heroes**  
 **Just for one day…** ****  


"Erik, Drake will find out," I said softly as he approached me, taking my hand slowly.

"No, he won't," he replied, kissing my forehead.

"This will be very stressful on all of us…"

He kissed my cheek, giving my hand a gentle squeeze.

**We should be lovers…**

_We can't do that…_

**We should be lovers**  
 **And that's a fact** ****  


I sighed softly, our foreheads resting against one another.

_Though nothing_  
 _Will keep us together_ __  


**We can steal time**

__**Just for one day  
** __**We can be heroes  
** __**Forever and ever  
** __**We can be heroes  
** __**Forever and ever  
** _**We can be heroes…** _ __**  
**

**Just because I will always love you**

_I can't help loving you…_

I moved my hands to his neck, our bodies pressing lightly against each other. Our eyes closed, and our breathing slow. We were as one.

"You were right," I said softly, our lips growing closer and closer together, his arms wrapped around me.

"About what," he asked in a whisper as one his hands moved up my back, entangling in my hair.

I leaned forward just enough to place my lips against his, and I melted against him. He supported my weight against him as he kissed me back. We kissed each other over and over for the rest of the night. And I knew from that moment, I was his and he was mine.


	23. Emma's Secrets

**Erik's POV  
** **Friday, July 2** **nd  
** **7:00pm  
** It was wonderful to be with her again, even if it wasn't fully. Sophie was continuing to resist her feelings for me, but she did let me know that she loved me. I had finished packing mine and Emma's bags for our weekend getaway, and I was doing some final paperwork in the office while waiting on Sophie to come in for our last meeting of the week. Our voice lessons had become later and later in the evenings since the kiss, and as much as I wanted to be with her fully, we knew that we couldn't as long as Emma and I were still married. Over the weekend, I planned on trying to work things out with Emma and hopefully fix our marriage, but if it couldn't be fixed I would have to pose the question of separating. There was also the issue of the secrets that I was keeping from Sophie. I was keeping a lot from her, and a lot of it was what she had a right to know. I just didn't know how I was going to tell her. I sighed, leaning back in my chair and rubbing my eyes. The things that I did for those that I loved. There was a soft knock at the door, and it slowly opened, revealing Sophie on the other side. She looked around before coming inside, making sure that Christine wasn't with me. She looked as gorgeous as ever, wearing a usual sun dress and flats, and her hair was down. She had been wearing her hair down more and more since our night together, and I loved it. It reminded me of better days. She closed the door behind her and I stood up, crossing the room and going to her, wrapping my arms around her and kissing her neck and shoulder softly. ****  


"I love it when you wear those sun dresses," I whispered into her ear, kissing her cheek softly before she pulled away, crossing the room and going over to my desk.

"We need to stop this," she said softly, putting her hands on her hips. "This isn't right. We shouldn't be together while you and Emma are married. You need to at least try and fix your marriage, Erik."

"I'm going to," I said, as I returned to my desk, handing her a list of contacts in case she had any problems with Christine. "We're going to be staying at the Chelsea in Atlantic City, in the Ocean Penthouse. This is a list of numbers for the trio, Isabella and us, just in case you should need anything. Christine and you seem to get along just fine, so you shouldn't have any problems."

"Thanks," she said, taking the paper, folding it, and putting it in her purse. "I'm surprising her with tickets to see a Broadway show this weekend. I hope that's okay."

"It's fine. I'm sure that she'll enjoy it."

"I hope the weather holds out for you guys this weekend. Where is Christine?"

"She should be backstage with Emma," I said, coming around to the other side of the desk, standing in front of her. "If you need anything, you will call won't you?"

"Of course I will. You know I will. Do you think that something's going to go wrong?"

"We've never had a weekend alone with the exception of our honeymoon. This is kind of nerve racking for me."

"Well, this isn't your honeymoon. This is a much needed vacation."

"I wish you were going with me," I whispered to her, resting my forehead against hers. "I'll text you when I get a free moment this weekend."

"Don't," she whispered, her eyes closed as her lips brushed softly against my cheek, placing her hand over mine. "This weekend is about you and Emma. I don't want to ruin it when I'm going to be in a completely different state and taking care of your daughter. You are going to be fine without me."

"I hope so. I can't stand this feeling. I feel like I'm trapped all of the time, suffocating within my own marriage."

"Erik, only you can change it. You're the one keeping yourself trapped within the marriage."

"Not by choice," I whispered quietly, taking her hand in my own. "May I at least kiss you before you go and get my daughter for the weekend?"

"One kiss, and that's all," she whispered, entwining her fingers with mine. I moved my free hand up to her cheek, stroking it softly with my thumb. I leaned down, placing my lips against hers softly. The kiss was soft and delicate, and I caressed her cheek as she leaned into me a little more. What I didn't expect was her kissing me back. She kissed me, as gentle as the kiss I had given her, her hand traveling up my chest and to the collar of my shirt, pulling me more towards her. I held the kiss, pulling her upward until she was on the tips of her toes, my hands moving to the small of her back. Her lips parted slightly, allowing me to access her mouth with my tongue. However, I resisted, pulling back slowly. She panted softly, her eyes closed, taking a step back and running her hand through her hair. "This is becoming very hard for me," she said softly, her voice quivering.

"I know. I'll straighten everything out with Emma. I promise."

"You better do it sooner rather than later. Otherwise, I'll have to leave. You know that."

"I understand. I'll take care of it, I swear."

**Sophie's POV  
** I sighed heavily, adjusting my purse on my shoulder. I walked over to him, kissing him on his cheek softly. "I'll call you if I need anything, I promise. If you want, I can call you with daily updates with Christine and how she's doing." ****  


"No, no," he said, taking my hand and kissing it softly. "We'll be fine. You go on and go. I'm sure that she's waiting for you."

I nodded, kissing him on his cheek again before I left the office. I took my time making my way to the backstage area of the theater, walking slowly as I tried to clear my head of everything that had happened between us. Our voice lessons now began with a kiss; just a light peck on the lips to greet one another and say goodnight. However, our voice lessons grew longer and longer with each passing night. Neither one of us wanted to leave each other's company, but we knew that we had to in order to keep anyone from suspecting anything that we had to go back to our lives. I walked down the set of stairs leading out of the Grand Foyer, noticing that the concert hall seemed eerily empty. I soon pushed it out of my mind, walking in a trance like state. My thoughts traveled back to our night together, singing along to that silly movie of Moulin Rouge and the kisses that we shared, and how I stopped it before we went too far. When we kissed, most of the wine that I had drunk was out of my system, and I had kissed him of my own free will. I walked into the empty theater, seeing no dancers, chorus members, or stage hands. The entire concert hall looked completely deserted. I walked backstage, finding my way to Emma's dressing room, seeing the door was cracked open slightly. Not thinking of knocking, I pushed the door open, gasping and nearly screaming, "Oh, my God!" I quickly slammed the door shut, putting my hands over my eyes as I leaned against the door.

There she was, Emma in nothing except what was left on of her 'Only for You,' fucking a state senator right there on the couch in her dressing room. And Christine was nowhere to be seen. I began walking down the corridor, in a panic that Christine wasn't there and fuming over what she had done. The dressing room door opened and Emma emerged, tying her robe and chasing me down, out of breath as she grabbed ahold of my arm, stopping me in my place.

"Sophie, please," she pleaded as she stepped in front of me, stopping me from going around her. "It's not what you think!"

"It's not what I think?! I just saw you fucking a state senator! In your own dressing room! How could you do this to him, and to your daughter?! Speaking of which, where is your daughter?!"

"She's with Fleck getting a snack on the boardwalk, and will you keep your voice down?!"

"I will not," I shouted, moving past her and heading back towards his office.

"Where are you going," she asked, chasing after me, cutting me off once more.

"Where do you think I'm going? I'm going to tell him what I just saw."

"Oh, you would love to tell him, wouldn't you," she sneered, her eyes narrowing. "Please don't tell him. Not with this weekend coming up. We need to get away. Please, Sophie, I'm begging you. Please don't tell him."

I sighed, rubbing my eyes, looking at her. "He's been planning this weekend with you to fix your marriage. What do you expect me to do?"

"I expect you to keep your mouth shut. Please, Sophie. I'll tell him this weekend. I'll come clean, I promise."

I sighed again, shaking my head as I looked up, seeing Fleck coming towards us with Christine. I turned my attention back to Emma, looking at her sternly. "I'll give you until this weekend. If you don't tell him, I will."


	24. Of Children and Castles

**Erik's POV  
** **The Ocean Penthouse – The Chelsea  
** **Atlantic City, NJ  
** **9:00pm  
** I unlocked the door the penthouse, holding the door open for Emma as she quietly went inside, throwing her purse on the table as I rubbed my eyes. Our weekend together was not going well. I wasn't sure what I was doing wrong, but everything that we tried to do together ended in disaster. I went inside and locked the door, walking across the room to go out onto the balcony. We had just finished having dinner in the restaurant on the boardwalk, enjoying the night air until she started in on the Monster's Ball. She continued to make her case against it, insisting that it was a terrible idea and that I needed to give up on it. She walked outside after making herself another drink, even though she already had enough to drink for the evening. I sat down in the lounge chair, watching her as she stayed standing, leaning against the doorway. ****  


"I just don't understand why you want to do something so stupid," she said with a cruel tone, with a touch of jealousy. "Pretty soon, you're going to want to stay open through Thanksgiving and Christmas, and you won't have any money left to spare."

"Emma, we are doing better than ever financially, and you know it," I replied, standing up and going into the living room, becoming more and more frustrated with every passing moment. "I plan on paying off the debt to your mom soon, as well as do other things. I want to do a Moulin Rouge weekend, if you would like to."

She blinked, and then scoffed, looking at me. "A Moulin Rouge themed weekend? Really? Is this bribery for the Monster's Ball?"

"No, but this is a peace offering. I'm really sick of the fighting, Emma, and I'm considering separation. How long do you think we can really keep this charade going? Three, maybe four months at the most? Aren't you tired of lying?"

She looked down at her drink, and then took a large swig, crossing the room to return the glass to the bar. "You forget about our bargain. Christine needed a mother, and I was there. I gave you information in exchange for the marriage and for the money for the park. As far as I'm concerned, our bargain is not done yet."

"No, but it will be soon," I said sternly, looking at her with my arms crossed. "I can't keep living the lie anymore. And don't try and tell me that you don't see how well Sophie and Christine are bonding because I know you do, and so does your mother. We're going to tell Sophie the truth, and soon. And if you don't tell her with me, I'll tell her myself."

"Just because she's Christine's biological mother doesn't mean she'll make a good mother. She's going to go back to her career after this, and you know it. Whether we divorce or not, she is going to leave you behind, just like you left her behind ten years ago."

I scowled at her, dropping my hands to my waist. "I came back. It may have been six months after the fact, but I still came back. I wanted to be with her, and open the park with her. You knew this, and you blackmailed me because of what had happened. I forgave you for what you did, but now it's time to settle all of our debts and end this."

"Well, I'm not ready to end this, and we're not going to end this. Not yet." She crossed the room, taking the spare room key with her. "You're mine, and you'll always be mine, no matter if Christine is her child or not." With that, she left. I wasn't sure of where she was going, and I didn't really care. She finally knew how I felt, and what I wanted to do. I was going to do it, no matter what anyone said. I pulled out my phone, texting Isabella and telling her that she would be repaid by the end of the week next week, all $5 million that I owed her. I was going to find a lawyer and begin separation and divorce meetings with Emma, even if she wasn't ready. I sighed, going and laying down, tempted to drive back to New York tonight, but I figured that there was no harm in getting some sleep. My thoughts soon traveled to Sophie and Christine, wondering if they were getting along okay and if they were having fun. I also thought of how I was going to break the news to Sophie about Christine being her child and us starting a relationship. Everything was about to become very difficult and very quickly.

**Sophia's POV  
** **New York City, NY  
** **Midnight  
** Christine and I came into my hotel room, having just returned from the Broadway show that I had surprised her with. She rushed into the hotel room, ecstatic over the autographs on the playbill that she had received and how many pictures that we had gotten together of the stars. Some of the stars, including my friend Hugh Panaro, were more excited to see me than I was to see them. We made a lunch date for later this week when he didn't have a matinee, and even invited Christine to join us, which made her night. She smiled and hugged me excitedly, still clutching the playbill in her small hand. ****  


"Oh, Sophie, I don't know how I can ever repay you for taking me to that show," she said, finally putting the playbill down and slipping her shoes off. "It was amazing!"

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it," I smiled, patting her on the back. "Unfortunately, it is way past your bedtime. Why don't you go ahead to the bathroom and start drawing your bath? I'll be right in with your pajamas."

"Okay," she said, retreating to the bathroom while I went to the bedroom to get into her luggage. I smiled to myself as I thought of our time together. We were really getting along well, and I was beginning to see that we had the same interests. I began to wonder what else we had in common. I took her pajamas out of her bag, along with her toothbrush and toothpaste, heading to the bathroom. I heard the water running and saw the door was open slightly. As I pushed it open slowly, I didn't prepare myself for what I was about to see.

When I opened the door, my eyes widened and my breath left my body. Christine had her back to me as she concentrated on getting the water at the right temperature for her. I stared at her back, taking in the number of bruises, some fresh with blue and purple coloring, and some had been healing with yellow coloring. They weren't just on her back; they were also all over her arms. I especially took notice of a full hand print that was on her upper arm, which was the most recent bruise, noticing that it was a small but adult hand. I swallowed the hard lump in my throat, and set the items on the vanity quietly shutting the door as I put my hand over my mouth, on the verge of tears.


	25. Look With Your Heart

**Sophia's POV  
** I paced the living room after I pulled myself away from the bathroom door, trying to get my thoughts together on what I had just seen. Christine's back and arms covered in bruises. How long had she been hiding her pain? More importantly, who was doing it to her? Who was beating this sweet little girl that I had become very fond of? The fondness that I was feeling towards her was beginning to scare me, but it almost felt natural. I shook my head, trying to figure out how I was going to talk to her about this. She didn't have anyone else except the trio, and from what I could see, they were still at the park dealing with what remained of the bustling crowd. I took a deep breath, getting a tray of cookies and two mugs of hot chocolate ready for a bedtime snack. I heard the water draining and I sat down on the couch, putting some marshmallows in the cups, stirring the hot liquid slowly. It wouldn't be much longer until she came out of the bathroom, and we could talk. I just hope that I would be able to get out of her who was hurting her. I heard the bathroom door open and the small footsteps of Christine coming into the living room. She appeared in front of me with a hairbrush, smiling a little as she handed it to me and took her place sitting on the floor in front of the couch between my feet. I swallowed a little as I handed her one of the mugs of hot cocoa, starting to brush out her hair as I looked at her upper arm which was covered by the fabric of her nightgown. I swallowed again, finally gathering my words in my mind as I finished brushing her hair and had begun to braid it. ****  


"Christine," I began slowly as I worked my fingers through her thick curly locks, working on a French braid for her. "I have to ask you something, and feel free not to answer me, but I need to know something."

"Okay," she replied in a soft voice, nibbling on a cookie. "What is it?"

"Christine, I came into the bathroom earlier to bring you the pajamas that you had brought with you. You didn't see me because you were drawing your bath. I…" I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I noticed that you had a lot of bruises on your back and on your arms. Has…has someone been hurting you?" When she didn't answer, I continued with braiding her hair. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I'll understand if you don't trust me yet, since we've only known each other for a little over a month, but I feel like we have become very good friends. I'll understand if you don't want to talk to me about it, but I just want you to know that I'm here for you and that you can tell me anything if you want to, but only if you want you." I finished the braid, tying the end of it with a small hair tie and moving over so she could sit on the couch. Instead, she doesn't move. She's staring down into her mug, contemplating with herself, struggling on whether she can talk to me or not. As I reach for my mug, she begins to cry, and as she tries to fight back the tears, she chokes back sobs. I looked down at her, setting my mug back down on the coffee table. "So someone is hurting you?"

She nodded, climbing up onto the couch. She couldn't bear to look at me. This was obviously bothering her, and the secret that she had been keeping was weighing her down. She took another sip of the hot cocoa. I cleared my throat, turning to her fully and slowly taking the mug from her, taking her hand, patting it softly.

"Who's hurting you? Is it someone you know?" She nods. "Is the person close to you?" She nods again. "So it's a family member?" This time, she doesn't nod. She begins to tremble, sniffling as the tears start to flow harder. Before I realize it, I pull her to me, consoling her as she cries. I rub her back as she lays her head on my shoulder. I don't know when she finally stopped crying, but I know that it was a while. The cocoa had grown cold, and we were in the wee hours of the morning. How she was still awake from crying I don't know, but I knew that she still needed to get something off of her chest. She doesn't pull her head up when she speaks to me again. Her voice is in a soft whisper, as if she didn't want anyone else to hear her. The whisper took my breath away out of shock.

"It's Mommy."

I blinked, looking down at her as I feel her slowly pull away, wiping her eyes. I swallow a lump in my throat, a lump that was a mixture of sadness and anger that she was going through this, and that it was Emma who was the cause. "It's Mommy," I ask to be sure, handing her a tissue to blow her nose. She nods as she blows her nose, setting the tissue on the coffee table.

"It didn't start out like this. She used to just yell at me when she was upset at Grandmamma Isabella or at Papa." She looked at me and I nodded, indicating that she could continue. "I don't know what has changed with her lately. She just…started hitting me for no reason. I don't know what exactly I did wrong, but I know that I was bad. She told me so." She sighed heavily, rubbing her tired eyes. "Mommy never played with me. I'm beginning to wonder if she even loves me."

Hearing Christine say those words nearly brought tears to my eyes. However, I had to keep myself composed so I would appear strong to her. Inside, I was screaming with anger, wanting to punish Emma for what she had done, and I knew that I would get my chance sooner or later. However, I wasn't the important one at this moment. The important one at this time was Christine. I pulled her into my lap, rubbing her back, singing something to her that had just come to my mind.

_Love's a curious thing_  
 _It often comes disguised_  
 _Look at love the wrong way_  
 _It goes unrecognized_ __  


_So look with your heart_  
 _And not with your eyes_  
 _A heart understands_  
 _A heart never lies_ __  


_Believe what it feels_  
 _And trust what it shows_  
 _Look with your heart_  
 _The heart always knows_ __  


_Love is not always beautiful_  
 _Not at the start_ __  


_So open your arms_  
 _And close your eyes tight_  
 _Look with your heart_  
 _And when it finds love_  
 _Your heart will be right_ __  


I looked down to see that she was almost asleep. I smiled softly, continuing to rub her back as I slowly rocked her back and forth, lulling her to sleep.

_Learn from someone who knows_  
 _Make sure you don't forget_  
 _Love you misunderstand_  
 _Is love that you'll regret_ __  


_Look with your heart_  
 _And not with your eyes_  
 _The heart can't be fooled_  
 _The heart is too wise_ __  


_Forget what you think_  
 _Ignore what you hear_  
 _Look with your heart_  
 _It always sees clear_ __  


_Love is not always beautiful_  
 _Not at the start_ __  


_But open your arms_  
 _And close your eyes tight_  
 _Look with your heart_  
 _And when it finds love_  
 _Your heart will be right_ __  


I looked down at her again, seeing that she was sound asleep. I slowly rose from the couch, carrying her to the bedroom carefully. I laid her down gently on the bed, kissing her forehead. I found myself wishing that she was my daughter, and how I wanted to protect her from any more harm that would come to her. I watched her sleep for a while, watching as the sky began to grow lighter with hues of bright orange and blue. The sun was rising, and it was a new day. However, I knew that I had to address things with Erik. Emma was being abusive towards Christine, and he probably had no idea. I finally pulled myself away from Christine and out of the bedroom, going to lie down on the couch to try and salvage what little sleep I could. I picked up my phone as it buzzed on the table, seeing I had a text message from Erik. I slid my thumb over the screen, opening the message.

_I told Emma I wanted to separate. She's not taking it well. We'll be back sometime this morning or this afternoon. She's going to be staying at her mother's in the city until further notice._

I had to read the message a few times before it finally sunk in. I swallowed softly, turning to glance back at the bedroom before typing a reply.

_There was nothing that you could do to try and save the marriage?_

I hit send as I sat down on the couch, slipping my shoes off and turning on the television, keeping at a low volume so it wouldn't wake Christine. My phone buzzed again as I laid down, my eyes heavy. I slid my thumb over the screen, reading his reply.

_We fought the whole time. There was really nothing that could be said or done to change my mind. She'll have to accept it. In the end, this is the best decision for both of us._

I sighed softly, growing more and more tired as my head sunk into the pillow. I typed a quick reply, fighting to keep my eyes open.

_I've been up all night; haven't slept. Falling asleep as I type this. I'll talk to you when you get here._

I hit send, and placed my phone on the table, immediately falling asleep soon after.


	26. Revelations of the Phantom

**Erik's Dream  
** The boy ran away from me and straight to his mother's arms. "Horrible," he screamed as he hid his face in her waist, gripping onto the fabric of her dress. "It was horrible!" I hid behind one of the pillars, putting my mask back on without the wig. I could hear her trying to calm the child down as I emerged from the darkness, walking slowly towards her and the child. Meg saw me first, gasping softly as her hand went to her mouth. I could tell that she was saddened that I was unmasked, especially since she knew what lay beneath. It wasn't long before Christine saw me, swallowing a bit. She looked down at the boy, her hands on his cheeks. "Gustave, listen to me. I want you to go with Miss Giry. Do you understand me? I don't want you to leave her sight." The child nodded and ran to Meg, and the two left immediately. Christine slowly turned to me, her eyes soft and pleading. She knew what was about to come. ****  


**How could you think I wouldn't guess?**  
 **How could you think I wouldn't know?**  
 **Do you have something to confess?** ****  


I walked over to her, placing my hand on her throat and pulling her to me. I didn't grip her hard, but hard enough to know that I was serious about the matter. Her hand moved to my wrist, trying to pull away. Her eyes still pled for mercy, begging not to reveal the secret that she had kept hidden for so long.

**I want the truth right now, if so!**

She took a breath and I only slightly loosened my grip. Her hand still gripped my wrist as she took another breath, looking up at me.

_Once upon another time_  
 _You went off and left me alone_  
 _But that's not all you did_  
 _You left me with a son…_ __  


My heart stopped. The boy was mine. He was my son. My hand dropped from her throat and I stepped back from her. Suddenly, my heart was pounding against my chest, my breathing quickened and I dropped to the floor, tears streaming down my face. She slowly stepped towards me, continuing.

_Ever since that other time_  
 _I wish, how I wish you'd had known_  
 _I kept the secret hid_  
 _The secret that my marriage forbid_  
 _What else could I have done?_ __  


_Just love_

**My son…**

_Just live_

**My son…**

_Just give what I can give_  
 _And take what little I deserve…_ __  


I let out a small sob as she cautiously approached me. I doubled over, my hand on the floor as I cried. Her arms slowly wrapped around me, resting her head on my back as she rubbed the back of my neck. I only cried for a little while, regaining myself as I took her hand in mine, squeezing it tightly. "Forgive me," I choked out, pulling myself away from her. She went to stop me, but I put my hand up, and she rose up, watching me closely.

**He fears me and shuns me**  
 **As you did once**  
 **Take him now**  
 **Take him and go** ****  


I turned to her, my voice choking on my words as I held back my sobs. I pointed towards the way that she came, indicating that she was free to leave.

**Go now…be free**  
 **But swear one thing to me**  
 **He will never, ever know…** ****  


She smiled softly, picking up the music from the floor, coming towards me slowly.

_I swear it, believe me_  
 _You know you have my word_  
 _And I swear that this music_  
 _Won't remain unheard_  
 _This music, your music_  
 _Will live again_  
 _One last time, just as I swore_ __  


I came to her, placing my hands over hers. God, how I still loved her, and I loved her soul. But he couldn't know our secret. They would all be ruined. She smiled as I placed my hands over hers, and together in music, we were one.

__**And soul to soul  
** _**We'll once again be heard** _ __**  
**

**When I hear you sing**

She suddenly pulled her hands away, looking down at the music, then back at me.

_Once more…_

She clutched the music, and left my domain, and I was left with nothing but the footfalls leaving me in silence. I turned and looked at my reflection in one of the pillars. The boy really did loathe me, and feared me, but that wasn't my intention when I first heard him sing and brought him down to my lair. I removed my mask, looking over my face as I began to contemplate what I was going to be able to do now. I had a son that was being raised by the love of my life and the person who was the love of her life, and he was absolutely beautiful. He was a beautiful boy and he was being raised by a beautiful woman. I placed the mask back over my face, sighing heavily.

**From out of ugliness, such light**  
 **From out of darkness, such a flame**  
 **In him, my wrongness is made right**  
 **And yet he loathes me just the same** ****  


**So let him shun me in disgust**  
 **Let him flee this cursed face**  
 **If I must hide from him, I must**  
 **Yet shall he be my saving grace** ****  


**Oh, Christine, my Christine**  
 **If it's true, he's my reason to live**  
 **Ah, Christine, then our son**  
 **Shall have all I can give**  
 **Ah, Christine**  
 **All I create on this earth**  
 **All that I'll never be worth**  
 **All shall be his** ****  


* * *

I awoke slowly as our limo began to slow down. We were probably pulling up to the hotel, coming to pick up Christine. Emma was sitting on the opposite side of the limo, completely away from me. She hadn't said more than two words to me, not since I said that I wanted to separate. Gangle was getting the money ready for her mother. I began to realize that this nightmare that I had endured for ten years was nearly over. The limo came to a stop and the driver got out, opening the door for us. Emma climbed out first, and I followed, going into the hotel. We didn't even bother to look happy. She was hung over and upset; I was exhausted and emotionally drained. As we stepped into the elevator and the doors closed to take us upstairs to the penthouse, she cleared her throat, wanting to say something, but didn't want to break the silence.

"Emma," I said softly, keeping my eyes straight ahead. "Emma, I know that you're hurt about the decision that I made, but you had to have known that this was coming. I'm clearing the debt with your mother tomorrow, and we'll start going through the divorce proceedings after Labor Day. The park will only be open on weekends then, and we can make it a quick divorce. And you will still get to see Christine when you're not performing and during the week before and after school."

"Do you really think that she'd make a good mother to her? Please. She's been out of her life for ten years, and you told me that she didn't even want to see her when she was born. Christine needs a mother. A real mother who will be there for her, not one who will drag her all over the world because of her career."

I turned and looked at her, my eyes piercing through her with anger. "You won't have a say anymore. You are not her biological mother; Sophia is." The doors opened and I stepped out, with her following behind. "I will make sure that she knows the truth before the divorce proceedings begin. You are just going to have to accept that this is the end."

"I will not accept it, and this isn't over."

I rolled my eyes as I knocked on the door, waiting for Sophie to answer.

**Sophie's POV  
** I blinked as I heard the knock, slowly sitting up as I rubbed my eyes. I heard the small feet of Christine run across the floor, opening the door. "Papa," she said excitedly, jumping into her father's arms. I sat up, stretching, turning towards the family as I yawned, and covered my mouth. "I'll go get my stuff," she said once she was put down, running off towards the bedroom. The two of them came in; I could tell that Emma wasn't in the talking mood. She looked at me up and down, her arms crossed as Erik closed the door. ****  


"Still asleep, I see," she said coldly, staying close to the door. "I wonder how long Christine was up before we got here, Erik."

Erik shot her a look as I raised my eyebrow at her, crossing my arms. "We were up late, Emma. I didn't get to sleep until very early this morning. If she was up before me, she was probably being very considerate and trying to stay quiet so she wouldn't wake me."

"Oh, staying up late with our daughter. Sounds like a great role model."

I grit my teeth, grinding them slightly as I stared her down. "We went to a Broadway show. Which she enjoyed immensely. She even got to meet Hugh Panaro, and we have a lunch date for later this week."

"Oh, so you're rubbing it in that I can't take my daughter anywhere?"

"Okay, what the fuck is your problem, Emma?"

"What the fuck is your problem, Sophie," she said, crossing the room and getting in my face. "I'm getting really tired of your shit."

"I haven't done jack shit to you! I've only tried to help you!"

"By turning my daughter against me?!"

"That is enough," Erik's voice boomed, crossing the room and coming between us. "You are not to argue about this, especially with her around. This is not going to happen like this. Emma needs to accept the changes that are coming, whether she likes them or not. And Sophie, I would still like to have you babysit and take Christine places. No matter what Emma says. Now you two need to act civil towards one another, especially when Christine's around. Do you understand me?"

We both nodded and I walked away from them, going to give Christine a hug as she emerged from the bedroom. "I had a great time this weekend. Don't forget about our lunch date with Hugh later this week, okay?"

"Okay," she replied, hugging me back. "Can we do this again later?"

"We'll see, honey. I won't be around a few weekends from now."

"But why?"

"Because…" I glanced at Erik and Emma, watching as Emma left the room and Erik stood there with the door open. "Because I have my ten year class reunion in a few weeks, so I'll be driving up to Davenport and I'll be gone for a couple of days."

"Going to see Chrissy," Erik asked as Christine walked over to him, holding his free hand.

"She's probably the only person that I really want to see. And I might go see my parents. We'll see though." I peeked down the hallway, seeing that Emma was nowhere in sight. "If you can, you should try and come down. I'm sure that they would love to see you."

"I'll see what I can do. We better go. As you can see, she's not in the greatest mood."

"I know. I'll see you later."

He nodded, leaving soon after. I sighed heavily, rubbing my eyes. There was already tension in the air, and it was only going to get worse before it got better. I only hoped that the weekend I would be in Davenport that Christine would be all right.


	27. The Reunion - Part I

**Sophie's POV  
** **Last Weekend of July  
** I finished packing my bag to go to Davenport for the class reunion weekend, having already made arrangements to keep the suite on hold for the weekend until I returned on Sunday. Drake was missing. I hadn't seen him since the weekend of the Fourth of July and he was completely strung out. He told me that he hadn't bought any drugs, but he was using sparingly so he wouldn't look terrible for the reunion. I gave him money to check into a rehab, and I hadn't seen him since. The only contact we had was via text messaging, and the most he ever said that he was okay. However, he never gave out his location. It had me worried because I knew in my heart that he hadn't check into rehab, and I didn't even know if he was even going to the reunion. In case he was planning to attend the reunion but forgot to send in his RSVP, I listed him as my plus one. I grabbed my bag and my purse, heading down to the lobby. I made sure that my room key was on hold, handing my bags to the limo driver. ****  


"Miss Day, this was left here for you," the concierge said to me as he handing me a sealed white envelope. I thanked him and left the hotel, climbing into the back of the limo. I opened the envelope, pulling out a letter.

_I hope you have a good time at the reunion. Not sure if I'll make it down to see everyone. If I don't, I'll see you when you get back. I love you. –E._

I sighed softly, tearing up the note and discarding it. The last thing Emma needed was fuel to add to the fire for the divorce. I sat back, enjoying the limo ride to Davenport.

* * *

A few hours later, the limo slowed and came to a stop in front of my parents' house. I visited with them for a short while because none of us really had much to say to one another. After the visit, the limo took me to the same place where our prom was, which was the hotel that I was staying at. I checked in and took my bags up to my room. As I began to unpack and get things ready for the reunion, there was a knock on the door. I hung up my dress, going to answer the door. On the other side was Chrissy. She smiled, hugging me tightly as she took me completely by surprise. She had aged well, looking the same as the last time we saw each other. Over the next few hours, we caught up on the last ten years of our lives.

"I still can't believe that you married Jay," I told her with a smile as I refilled her wine glass, sitting back down at the table. Jay was the quiet boy in our class, and my co-star in Beauty and the Beast. Chrissy smiled she sipped at her wine, telling me about how that came to pass. They got together while in college. She became a psychiatrist, specializing in rape trauma, and I had become a patient of hers as soon as she started her residency. I thought back to our first appointment together, just before I had left for Paris, and I was suffering from anxiety because of Drake's drug use. She helped me quite a bit, and it was nice that she was only a phone call away whenever I needed to talk to her.

"You wouldn't believe how much he has changed since then. He really embraced his musical talent, and his knack for teaching. He's one of the best music teachers that the school district has ever seen, next to Monsieur Destler."

I smiled, sipping at my glass, taking a bit out of the dinner that he had ordered. "I'm so happy for you two, and your kids are beautiful."

"Thanks," she replied, eating a bit of dinner. "So how are you? Honestly."

I sighed softly, putting my fork down. "Could be better, could be worse. Right now, I'm okay."

"How's Drake?"

"At the moment, he's missing but okay. His drug use is increasing, especially since we've been back in the States."

"What's causing the increased drug use?"

I thought for a moment. "Depression and jealousy, but I believe that it's jealousy mostly. I'm spending all of my time at Phantasma with Erik, and we hardly see each other. When we do see each other, we end up fighting and it gets violent."

"When was the last time he hit you?"

"After the press conference announcing my engagement at Phantasma."

"Did the usual anxiety attack occur?"

I nodded. "I only take the medicine you gave me when I need it."

"I know. I told you to do that," she said with a smile. "What else is going on?"

I sighed again, rubbing my eyes. "A lot has changed. Erik is married." When she smiled, I told her who Erik was married to. "To Emma."

She took a moment, and then looked at me with wide eyes, her mouth open slightly. "No," she said in a genuine state of shock. "You can't be serious."

"I'm dead serious. And they have a child together. Christine."

"You say that child's name with such longing," she observed, reading my emotions.

"I've been watching her until I got to work with Erik. After that, she either goes with her mother or another employee. I've grown very fond of her over the last couple of months."

"That's got to be difficult for you, especially with the history that you and Erik have," she said, taking a sip of her wine. I discreetly bit my lip, running my finger along the rim of the glass. She noticed this change immediately, looking at me. "Sophie? What's going on? Is there something else going on that you haven't told me?"

"Well…lately I've been feeling like there's more of a mother/daughter connection between Christine and me. It seems like more and more, I feel like I want to take care of her and protect her, just as a real mother would to their child or children. I don't know if it's because of us spending so much time together…or if it's something else."

"What do you mean?"

"Chrissy, I have been hiding a huge secret from the world, even from you. Before I tell you this, I want you to know that I'm going to tell you this as my psychiatrist and not my friend. Do you understand?"

"Yes, of course," she said, setting down her fork. "What is it, Sophie?"

I took a breath, folding my hands on the table. "It was Christmas Eve. It was ten, nearly eleven years ago. Erik and I met for…I guess what you would consider as a date, but it wasn't meant to be a date. We had a very romantic evening, and we ended up…well…I think you know what we ended up doing."

"Holy shit…I knew it was only a matter of time, especially after we graduated."

"Well, that's not all." When I looked up at her, she motioned for me to continue. "The next morning, I woke up and he was gone. I felt like a fool. He had finally gotten what he wanted and he was gone. I didn't contact him again, and I didn't see him again until this year. But…"

"But," she prompted, taking a sip of wine.

"A month and a half later, I found out I was pregnant."

Her reaction was expected. The wine came out of her mouth in a spray, coughing as she took her napkin, wiping her mouth off. "Sophie, you were pregnant? Please tell me that he knew." When I didn't answer, she looked at me, putting her napkin down. "You didn't tell him?!"

"No. How could I? I was so embarrassed, especially after that night. I was also in school, and I had to be discreet."

"Regardless, he had a right to know. It was his child."

"I know, and I realize that now, but at the time, I thought I was on my own."

"So what did you do?"

"I hid the pregnancy except from Emma, and when the time came, I went away and had the baby. I gave her up for adoption."

"Her? It was a girl?"

I nodded. "I couldn't even look at her. I know that she went a nice newlywed couple. The paperwork clearly states that she can't know who her biological mother is until she's sixteen."

"So…what's the connection between you and Christine?"

"I wish I knew. Maybe it's just us becoming friends, but deep down…I feel like she's my daughter."

"But she's Erik and Emma's daughter."

"I know." I sighed again. "Chrissy, no one can know. Erik still doesn't know. Drake doesn't even know."

"You told me this in confidence as your psychiatrist. This doesn't leave the room."

I nodded, hugging her. "I couldn't ask for a better friend, or psychiatrist. Thank you, Chrissy.


	28. The Reunion - Part II

**Sophia's POV  
** The following evening came quicker than I expected. I was putting on the final touches of my hair and make-up, getting ready to go downstairs for the reunion. Drake was nowhere to be seen, so I figured that he wasn't coming. I could only pray that he didn't show up later completely strung out of his mind or so high that he would become violent. I went downstairs, greeting everyone as they passed me, heading into the conference room that our reunion was in. I found my place at Chrissy's table, sitting with her and Jay, along with a few others that I knew and befriended in high school. We sat and ate, enjoying one another's company, even signing a few autographs for their children who were fans of mine. As we talked of the past ten years and how they could so quickly go by without us seeing one another, my phone vibrated twice, indicating that I had a text message. I took my phone out of my purse, sliding my thumb over the screen to open the text message. It was from Drake. ****  


_Where are you?_

I tapped reply, telling him which table I was at and asking him if he was here. I hit send, trying to relax as I sipped at my drink. I didn't know what to expect when he got here, if he even was here. I heard a commotion of chatter as someone new joined our table. I looked up and there he was, looking very dressed up and clean, which surprised the hell out of me. I smiled and gave him a hug as he sat down, whispering into his ear.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he whispered back, but I could tell that he wasn't fine. He wasn't high, and I could feel him trembling as we embraced. I swallowed slightly as I pulled away, smiling at him and patting his hand. I hoped that this would indicate that everything was going to be fine. I helped myself to the buffet for another plate as Drake went up for his first helping of food. It was mainly to follow him to make sure he didn't make a fool of himself.

"Where have you been for the last few weeks," I asked as I helped him with his plate, which he jerked away from me.

"Why do you care," he replied. I could tell from his voice that he was definitely not okay. His words were slightly slurred, and he was probably drinking before he came to the reunion. "I know that you'd rather be with him. So where is he?"

"Well, the last time I saw him, he was in New York. Drake, just be you tonight. Please don't cause any trouble."

"Do you really think I'm that stupid? You're stupid for even thinking such a thing."

I blinked, deciding not to fight with him. I returned to my seat, picking at my second helping of food. He ate sparingly as he talked to the people at our table, Chrissy shooting me a concerned look every now and then. I'd shake my head slightly, letting her know that things weren't okay. She texted me discreetly, sending me a message while Drake was eating.

_You need to get out of here while you still can. He just doesn't look happy at all._

I quickly replied, keeping an eye on Drake to make sure that he wasn't looking.

_I know, but I can't leave him alone. He's my friend and I'm not going to abandon him when he's like this._

I hit send, glancing at him while he picked at his food, downing the drink that he had and going to get another one from the bar. Chrissy pulled me to her, her voice stern. "I know he's our friend, and your manager, but this is not a safe environment to be in, especially when he's in a state like this. He could snap at any moment."

"I've been dealing with this for six years, Chrissy. I'll keep him under control. I promise."

I pulled back just as Drake was sitting back down with a fresh drink. I picked at my food for a little longer, debating on whether or not to leave. I noticed that my wine had become sour when I took a drink, so I got up from the table, heading to the bar. I could feel Drake's eyes on me as I walked to the bar. I didn't even notice the commotion of the people when someone came through the doors as I ordered my wine, sitting at the bar and waiting. When the bartender returned with my wine, he asked the person behind me what they would like.

"A glass of wine, what she's having."

My eyes widened, and then I closed them, recognizing the voice immediately. He sat down beside me, but I couldn't look at him. I swallowed as I took a sip of my glass, my hand shaking. I was sure that he noticed this, considering that I was already a nervous wreck when I had arrived at the bar. Now, I was more nervous than ever and now he was here. It was now certain that all hell was going to break loose. The question was when.

"I should have texted you," I said softly, hoping that Drake hadn't noticed that he was here. "He's in a mood, and he's not well. I should have told you to stay away."

"I couldn't bear being away from you," he replied, paying the bartender for his drink. "Is he high?"

I shook my head. "It's been a few days, but I can tell that he doesn't really want to be here. He only came here to put in an appearance."

"So convince him to leave. I'll stay here and wait for you."

"No. No, I better…I better go back to our table."

"I'll see you soon. I'm sure that people are going to want to catch up with me since I'm here."

"Just be careful," I said softly as I stood up, taking my wine glass in hand. "I'm sure that if he sees you, he's going to want to start a fight."

"Even if he did want to fight me, he wouldn't succeed and you know that."

"I know," I said, patting him on the shoulder as I wandered back to my table. Chrissy met me half way, snaking her arm with mine as she grinned from ear to ear.

"And what do you think you're up to," she whispered to me, having us walk slowly as we talked. "How did you get him to come here?"

"I invited him. Really, he should have been my plus one, but there's a lot going on right now between him and Emma."

"Well, if you want a bit of good news to help you relax a bit, Drake hasn't seen him yet so if you want to take an opportunity to try and get him out of here, now would probably be your chance."

I nodded, sitting back down next to Drake. He was continuing to pick at his plate, his eyes heavy as he was beginning to become bored with the reunion. I downed my wine in a matter of minutes, taking his hand that sat on the table. "You look tired," I whispered into his ear, rubbing my thumb over the top of his hand. "Why don't I walk you upstairs to your room?"

His head turned slightly to look at me, nodding. I stood up and he followed suit, and as he walked to the door, I told Chrissy where we were going. "It shouldn't take me long, but if I'm not back in ten minutes, please come looking for me." She nodded and I pushed my chair in, walking with him to the elevators. It was the longest walk of my life. He was stumbling every few steps that he took, so I held onto his arm to steady him. I pushed the up button, glancing behind me to see that people were filtering in and out of the reunion, but none were really leaving. The doors opened and we stepped inside, but nothing could prepare me for what happened when the doors closed.

As soon as the doors closed, he was on me. First, he started with kissing me, and I pushed him away. Soon, he had me pinned against the wall of the elevator and his hands were roaming my body. I had my hands on his chest, trying to push him away as he kissed my neck. This was not what I meant when I said that I wanted to walk him back up to his room. How could he have mistaken that for this? "Drake, stop," I said into his ear, as firmly as I could, but I could tell that my voice was shaky and my anxiety was starting to shoot through the roof. I soon realized that I couldn't get help if I wanted to. I had left my phone downstairs. When his hands started to work my thighs apart, I tried to scream but nothing would come out. Besides, who would hear me? I was able to get a hand free, and I slapped him across the face, which was a mistake. He soon retaliated and slapped me back, sending me to the floor of the elevator. It happened to be a stroke of luck that the doors opened and I was able to crawl out of the elevator and shoot off down the hallway. Unfortunately, I didn't get very far as he tackled me, holding me down. "Drake, what are you doing?! Stop," I screamed at him, scratching, slapping, and clawing at him, his body weighing me down. He began to tear at my clothes, ripping my dress to attempt to get to my body. Somehow, I got an arm free, and I slammed my hand into the bridge of his nose, making him yelp and throw himself back. From the crack that I heard when I my hand hit, I was certain that I had broken his nose. I whimpered, tearing my shoes off and taking off down the hallway, throwing open the staircase door. I flew down the stairs, and I heard the door slam open behind me. He was after me, which only made me run faster while I was trying to hold my dress up to cover myself. Twelve flights of stairs later, I bolted out through the lobby, bare feet and ripped dress, causing a commotion as I tried to make my way back to the conference room. I had to find someone to help me. Chrissy, Jay, Erik…someone. I didn't make it. Someone's arms wrapped around me, shielding me as they sat me down in a chair outside the conference room doors. There was muffled talking, someone trying to get me to come through. It was a woman's voice, but a man was standing nearby. Something registered that it was Chrissy and Jay. They were coming to find me. It must have been more than ten minutes. My hair was pushed out of my face and a suit jacket went around my shoulders, but my anxiety level was so high that I couldn't even tell what was going on. Past images were flashing through my mind, and I was hyperventilating. Chrissy was trying to get me to come through as Drake began to push people out of the way, trying to get to me. My eyes locked on him and I screamed, cowering in the chair as Jay stood guard between us, but he didn't last long. Drake shoved him into a chair, and as he went to shove Chrissy out of the way, he went flying across the room and against the wall, pinned by another man.

"Let go of me," Drake screamed, fighting against the savior, which only made him press Drake up against the wall harder. When I looked over, I saw the scarred face of Erik, and Drake's nose was still gushing blood. "Don't you get it?! She's mine! And she's going to give me what she owes me and now!"

I soon realized that he had planned this. Whether he was high or not, he was going to have his way with me because he felt that I owed it to him. Chrissy's voice was beginning to cut through my muffled blocking of the situation, and I was aware of my surroundings. People had left the conference room to see what was happening outside, gasping at the commotion. I quickly pulled the jacket around me, shielding what had really happened…or what nearly happened. Jay started ushering people back inside to the reunion, as Erik held Drake to the wall, my eyes locked on Chrissy.

"She's not yours, and will never be yours," Erik whispered to him, his forearm digging into his throat, making him gasp for air. "The way I see it, you have two choices. You can either stay here until I choke the life out of you, which wouldn't be very difficult for me to do, or you can leave and go get that nose checked out because from the looks of it, she broke it. I'll leave it up to you, Drake."

"She owes me a great deal."

"You owe her a lot more. So is this your choice? To stay here," he asked, pressing harder into his throat, making him gasp.

"No, no! Let me go! I'll leave!"

With that, he dropped him. Drake dropped to the floor, gasping for air and his hand going to this throat. Chrissy was looking at me, waving her hand over my eyes, making me catch her attention. "Finally," she whispered, looking at me. "Do you feel your feet on the ground? Do you know where you are?" I nodded, and she sighed with relief. I turned my attention back to Drake, who was now bolting out the doors of the lobby. Erik was walking over to us, kneeling in front of me beside Chrissy. "Sophie, he didn't…did he?" I shook my head no, my hands clenching the jacket. Chrissy had turned to Erik; she knew that I was in no condition to return to the reunion. "I'm going to take her upstairs, get some medicine in her, and put her to bed. She's in no condition to return to the party."

Erik pulled her away, but I could hear their hushed voices. Chrissy told him that I had been suffering from high anxiety for a few years, and it was from the stress of dealing with Drake and his drug use. She offered her opinion of firing Drake, sending him away to rehab, but he told her that I had been trying that for years and none of it was working. He was always coming back and apologizing. She told him that if I didn't do something soon, the violent tendencies would escalate and I would end up seriously hurt or worse. He nodded, telling her that he would talk to me, try to make me see reason and get me to fire Drake. I soon felt myself being lifted up out of the chair, and walked upstairs to my room after Jay had gotten my things from the reunion. The rest of the evening was a blur. I wasn't there. The only thing I remember was my head hitting the pillow, and I was gone.


	29. After The Reunion

**Sophia's Dream  
** Raoul was coming at me in the hotel room after we had left the park, fuming with anger and stinking with alcohol. He had figured out that the owner was Erik and he was also the composer of the song that I was going to sing. I ducked behind the piano as he threw a glass at me, coming back up quickly with enough time to go around the opposite side of the piano to get away from him. He tripped over the piano bench, groaning as he landed, but it didn't take him long to get back up, scowling at me. I stepped back away from him, landing in the chair. "It's clear now," he said as he approached me, his hand going around my throat, squeezing as I gasped for air. "It's clear why you wanted to come here." I felt myself going as his grip tightened, but I started to fight him. I was fighting for my life. "Tell me, my darling, how long have you known that your Angel of Music was your boss?" I screamed, tearing at his skin, flailing about trying to kick him away. Meanwhile, in real life, strong and comforting arms wrapped around me, holding me to his chest, his hand running over my hair. "Shh…it's all right. You're safe." ****  


As I opened my eyes, I found myself in my hotel room. It was dark, and 3:00am. I could tell by the scent that Erik was with me, holding me to him as he calmed me down, and somehow, I was in my pajamas. I had a dozen questions running through my mind. How did I get here? Where was Drake? How many people saw what happened? Where was the dress that was ruined? Where was Chrissy and Jay, and were they all right? I sighed softly, pulling away from him, curling my knees into my chest. "How long have I been here," I asked, having no idea what had really happened after the lobby. Everything was a blur.

"A few hours, probably since 11:00pm. Chrissy brought you up here, but I relieved her so she and Jay could go home."

"Where's Drake?"

"He's gone. I'm not sure where he went after I got hold of him."

"Did Chrissy take care of me? Put me in my pajamas and all?"

"Yes," he said, staying beside me, laying down and propping himself up on his elbow. "She also gave you some medicine to help with your anxiety. She said if you still need it to take one in the morning before you leave."

I nodded in understanding. "Thanks for staying with me."

"I told you that I would wait for you. I knew that something was amiss when Chrissy and Jay got up from the table ten minutes after you and Drake left."

I nodded. "I told her to come looking for me if I wasn't back in ten minutes. If I would have known what he was going to do –"

"You couldn't have known, and it wasn't your fault. You thought you were helping out your friend."

"Yeah, and look where that got me."

**Erik's POV  
** I didn't know what to do. I was at a complete loss, and I didn't know how to comfort her. Another thing that I didn't understand was why she didn't tell me about her anxiety. I couldn't help but wonder if I had caused it along with Drake's drug use. I took her hand, lifting it to my lips and kissing it, my eyes apologetic as I looked up at her. "I'm sorry for everything, Sophie. This is all my fault." ****  


She blinked, shaking her head and laying down beside me. "No, no, this wasn't your fault. Please, don't blame yourself. I think that he would have escalated anyway, no matter if we were here, New York, or still in Paris."

"I have to ask," I said softly, having her roll over so I could rub her back to comfort her. "Sophie, why didn't you tell me that you had high anxiety?"

"Nobody really knows about it, but I would prefer is no one knew about it. What would people think? Oh, she has high anxiety, so we better give her the part so she doesn't have an anxiety attack. Or this: it's the middle of dress rehearsal and she's back there panicking." She sighed as I worked on a knot softly and gently, feeling how stressed she was. "Besides, it doesn't happen very often. The trigger for it is Drake and when he gets violent."

I sighed softly, shaking my head. "Sophie…I know you don't want to hear this from me, especially with everything going on, but I want you to consider firing Drake. He's not good for you. He's going to end up hurting you one day, and if no one is there to stop him, he could end up killing you. I don't want that to happen. I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me. I just hope that your divorce goes quickly and…and we can be together."

I looked at her as she turned her head to face me, smiling softly. "Are you sure that's not the medicine talking?"

"I'm sure," she smiled, leaning in to kiss me gently. "I want to be with you, and Christine. I love that little girl."

I swallowed. I knew that this would be the perfect time to tell her, but it was late, and I could tell that she was tired. Not only that, but with the medicine in her system, I wasn't sure how well it was going to register. I cleared my throat, kissing her forehead. "How did this all start? The anxiety attacks."

She told me about what happened six years ago. She had gotten a phone call from a mob boss in New York. He told her that he was calling on behalf of Drake, who was in deep shit. He was buying heroin on credit, otherwise known as fronting, which was a mistake in New York. He told her that Drake didn't have the money or the credit to cover the cost of the heroin, and that if she could pay a portion of it, they would let him go. When she went down to pay the front, he was beaten and high and the mob boss's henchmen nearly put a gun to her head. It wasn't until the mob boss realized who she was, and that she was one of his son's classmates, that he let Drake go. Out of good faith, she paid the front in full…all $600,000 of it. After that, Drake resented her for it. He knew that he owed her money, and the drug use continued, only this time he was actually paying for the heroin. The lack of the drug use caused his violent tendencies, and even when he was on drugs, she was beginning to notice that violent tendencies were coming through. She still loved him and cared for him; that's why she was standing by him throughout this whole ordeal. I sighed softly, kissing her forehead as I rubbed her arms comfortingly, feeling her nestle into the nook of my arm. "Sophie, you need to get away from him. He has to realize that he has hit rock bottom. Maybe if you're not there to try and help him and to care for him that maybe he'll snap out of it and go to rehab on his own."

"I appreciate you being optimistic and all, but I don't think that's going to work. His only love is heroin now."

I nodded in understanding, kissing her forehead again. "I better go. I should let you get some rest."

"Will you stay with me?"

"What?"

"I would like you to stay with me. Just to hold me. Please?"

I nodded, nestling down into the bed with her. I watched her through the night, watching her sleep and breathe gently. For the rest of the night, she didn't make a sound or tremble in fear. She felt completely and utterly safe. And, for the first time in ten years, I felt complete.


	30. All Secrets Revealed

**Sophia's POV  
** **A Month Later  
** **Weekend before Labor Day  
** After the class reunion, Drake had become scarce. He wasn't coming around to my hotel room, nor was he coming to Phantasma. That was probably a good thing. Erik was already on the verge of killing him at the reunion, and I'm sure that if Drake had tried anything else since then that Erik would have found a way to kill him discreetly and no one would be the wiser. Erik had come to the class reunion without notifying Emma, who never knew of where he really was. He had also repaid the debt that he owed to Isabella, which surprised her and she also knew that she no longer had a say in what he did with the park. Christine and I were spending more time together, and with school starting in a few days, it was a good thing. I didn't know how often I was going to see her once school started, but I did know that the divorce proceedings were going to begin soon and Erik was going to need all of the help that he could get. The feelings of bonding between Christine and I were stronger than ever, especially since Emma was staying at her mother's house in the city. I still couldn't help but wish that she was mine instead of Emma's. On this particular evening, I was due to meet Erik for a birthday surprise. It wasn't for Christine; it was for me. It was hard to believe that I was 29 years old, and Christine was soon to be 10, yet here we were and we were going to celebrate our birthdays together. I dress in a black and white sundress, heading out in the warm, muggy August air. I met the car downstairs, just as I always had since the reunion, and it took me to the park. I made my way upstairs to the office after we arrived, but I discovered that the office was empty. I looked around, spotting a secret passage opening, walking towards it. From the darkness emerged the trio, dressed in their usual black attire. All three of them beckoned me to follow them. As we walked down the winding narrow paths, I pondered where they were taking me. They sang a little melody as we walked. ****  


_Come along and follow us_  
 _Come and follow faster_  
 _Come along and follow us_  
 _Come and meet the master_  
 _Hurry up and follow us_  
 _Hurry if you care to_  
 _Soon the dark will swallow us_  
 _Follow if you dare to…_ __  


We came to a door that was closed. I turned to the trio, and I couldn't hide a small smile. "Okay, so what's going on? Where are we?"

"We are where he works," Gangle replied, stepping towards the door, turning the knob and opening it slowly.

"Step lively, Miss Day," Fleck chimed in, ushering me in.

"He is waiting," Squelch said softly, following behind with Gangle.

As we stepped into the room, I realized that we were on a stage. Not the same stage that was in the concert hall above us, but a hidden stage below. I gasped softly, seeing the pillars in the shapes of chess pieces at the center of the stage, clustered together, but I could see that they could be easily moved and they were on a turntable. The entire stage was darned in blue lighting, with only a candelabra sitting on a piano giving off the residual candlelight. "What is this place," I asked aloud, the trio just looking at me and not saying a word. Unbeknownst to me, Christine had emerged from the shadows, going to sit at the piano.

"This is his realm," she replied, sitting properly. "Illusion's domain. This is where music, beauty and art are first rate." She smiled at me, getting in position to play. "Go, look around. He's almost finished with his work."

"Do you play," I asked her as she began to pluck at a few notes. I stood nearby, listening to her. "What is that?"

"It's just a song that's in my head," she replied, only looking up at me for a moment. I smiled, moving closer to her.

"Go on," I urged her, and she began to play. Suddenly, as she plucked the notes, she began to sing.

_I think it's beautiful_  
 _Here how each note seems to float_  
 _Here how they all die and fall_  
 _Just like the night_ __  


My breath left my body. My heart started pounding as my hand went to my throat. All of sudden, it was like a flood gate opened. And I knew.

_It's beautiful_

"Christine…"

_So very beautiful_

"This music…"

_Music that comes uncontrolled_

"You sing like me…"

_Haunting and lovely and bold_

_You're just ten years old_  
 _Ten years old…_ __  


I let out a sob as my arms wrapped around my stomach, falling to the stage. My hands covered my face as I continued to cry. He had our daughter all along; somehow he knew. I heard a muffled voice telling Christine to come with them. As I sat on the stage, I knew that he had to be there somewhere. I heard a swooshing sound coming from backstage. I knew that he was there, waiting in the darkness. Hard rock music began to play over the speakers as I stood up, and I was not in the mood to write another song together. "Erik," I shouted, chasing him through the darkness as the pillars began to turn and rotate positions with one another. I kept seeing his shadow, but I couldn't catch him. "Erik, I'm not in the mood! I need to talk to you now!" As the pillars began to rotate even more, it messed with my orientation and I held onto one of them to regain myself. Suddenly, I felt his hand on my wrist and he pulled me to him in a spin, my back against his hard chest. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me still, his hand placed gently on my neck. I thought he would have offered some kind of explanation, but instead, he started to sing.

**Have you ever yearned to go**  
 **Past the world you think you know**  
 **Been enthralled to the call**  
 **Of the beauty underneath** ****  


**Have you let it draw you in**  
 **Past the place where dreams begin**  
 **Felt the full breathless pull**  
 **Of the beauty underneath** ****  


**When the dark unfolds its wings**  
 **Do you sense the strangest things**  
 **Things no one could ever guess**  
 **Things mere words cannot express** ****  


I was completely enthralled, and I could only emerge one breathless reply as he turned me to face him. "Yes." He grinned, and I could see that he was wearing his mask. He took my hand, pulling me through the winding maze between the pillars as he continued to sing.

**Do you find yourself beguiled**  
 **By the dangerous and wild**  
 **Do you feed on the need**  
 **For the beauty underneath** ****  


**Have you felt your senses surge**  
 **And surrender to the urge**  
 **And been hooked and you looked**  
 **At the beauty underneath** ****  


**When you stare behind the night**  
 **Can you glimpse its primal might**  
 **Might you hunger to possess**  
 **Hunger that you can't repress** ****  


He spun me away from him as the pillars cut between us. I went to find him, but I couldn't see him. "Yes," I replied again, moving between and around the pillars, my hands reaching out to touch the smooth texture of the pillars, taking in the scenery.

_It seems so beautiful_  
 _Almost too beautiful_  
 _Everything's just as you say_ __  


I stopped as I leaned against one of the pillars, trapped within my own thoughts. 'And she's so beautiful. Perhaps too beautiful, and what I suspect cannot be. And yet, somehow, we both sing the very same way.' I turned as I saw him emerge from behind a pillar. I ran to him, leaping into his arms and he caught me, supporting my weight as I placed my hands on his neck.

_Is there music in your head_  
 _Have you followed where its led_  
 _And be graced with a taste_  
 _Of the beauty underneath_ __  


_Does it feel your every sense_  
 _Is it terribly intense_  
 _Tell me you need it too_  
 _Need the beauty underneath_ __  


He nearly dropped me as he moved to set me feet on the ground, walking towards me as he stroked my cheek, his hand going to the back of my neck as we stood on the turntable, rotating along with the pillars.

__**When the dark unfolds and sings  
** __**Don't you feel amazing things  
** __**Things you know you can't confess  
** _**Things you thirst for nonetheless** _ __**  
**

The pillars came to a halt and I saw people within them. A mermaid, a strong man, a man with long fingernails and a human butterfly. These were the freaks that he was keeping hidden until the night. I was completely mesmerized by their beauty, walking among the pillars, and taking in the sights.

_It's all so beautiful_  
 _Almost too beautiful_ __  


_**Do you see what I see?** _

"Heavenly," I whispered breathlessly, losing him among the pillars again as he sang.

**To her, it's beautiful**  
 **My world is beautiful** ****  


_How can this be what it seems?_

__**All of my most secret dreams  
** _**Somehow set free** _ __**  
**

He came out of nowhere, coming out of the darkness and wrapping his arms around me. He kissed me and continued to kiss me in between lines. Our hands roamed each other's bodies, completely overcome with passion and emotion.

**You can feel it**

"Yes…"

**Coming closer**

"Yes…"

**You've no fear**

**Of the beauty underneath**

**You can face it**

"Yes…"

**You can take it**

"Yes!"

**You see through**  
 **To the beauty underneath**  
 **To the splendor** ****  


_To the splendor_

**And the glory**

_And the glory_

**To the truth of the beauty underneath**

_The beauty underneath_

**You'll accept it**

"Yes…"

**You'll embrace it**

"Yes…"

**Let me show you**  
 **To the beauty underneath** ****  


We were completely overrun with passion. He had me pinned against one of the pillars, my mind was fighting against him as my legs wrapped around his waist. My mind suddenly traveled to Christine. I had to know about Christine.

**To the splendor**

_To the splendor_

**And the glory**

_And the glory_

**To the truth of the beauty underneath**

_The beauty underneath_

**You'll accept it**

"Yes!"

**You'll embrace it**

"Yes!"

**Let me show you**  
 **The beauty underneath** ****  


"Stop," I screamed, pushing him away and running out from in between the pillars, collapsing on the stage, breathing heavily.

**Erik's POV  
** I didn't know what I had done wrong. I tore off my mask and ran to her, cupping her face in my hands. "Sophie," I spoke softly, brushing her hair back from her eyes. "Sophie, it's all right. It's me." I kissed her forehead, but she pushed me away, backing up. Her eyes were full of anger, betrayal. It was then I knew. She had discovered the secret. "Sophie," I said softly, holding my hands out to help her up, but she slapped them away. ****  


"Do you have something to tell me, Erik," she asked me, her voice full of hurt and anger. "Do you have something you have to confess?"

"Sophie, you have to understand –"

She gripped my shirt, pulling me back and forth, tears streaming down her face. "I want the truth! Right now!"

I placed my hands on her wrist, not taking her hands away, but I didn't want to let her go. Suddenly, she sang to me, her hands still gripping my shirt.

_Once upon another time_  
 _You went and left me behind_ __  


I kissed her hands, finally taking them off of my shirt.

**But you did something too**  
 **You left behind Christine…** ****  


Her hands dropped from mine, going over her mouth. I sighed softly, moving towards her.

**Ever since that other time**  
 **I wish, how I wished you had known**  
 **I kept the secret hid**  
 **The secret that your career forbid**  
 **What else could I have done?** ****  


**Just love**

_Christine…_

**Just live**

_Christine…_

**Just give what I can give**  
 **And take what little I deserve…** ****  


She moved down to sit on the floor, crying freely. I slowly moved behind her, wrapping my arms around her small frame. I kissed her earlobe, her neck, and her shoulder. "I am so sorry. I didn't want you to find out like this. I knew that when you heard her sing that you would know. However, I think already knew…deep down. Didn't you?" When she didn't reply, I knew I was right. "I'll have the trio take you home. I'll be there later." I snapped my fingers, and the trio appeared from the darkness. I slowly lifted her up and Squelch took her. They left quietly and quickly, her cries echoing through the darkened halls of the passageway. It was only a few minutes after she left that a figure emerged from the shadows. It was Isabella, her eyes wide with shock. She had heard everything that was just said. I swallowed, putting my hands in my pockets, dreading what was coming. "So, the truth is out," she said to me softly, not approaching me as she moved between the pillars. "What are you going to do now?"

"She needs to know the whole truth, Isabella," I said as I picked my mask up off of the floor, going over to the piano. "I'll be heading over there soon. Can you watch Christine?"

"Yes, of course," she said softly, her voice more gentle and nurturing. More like a mother. "Erik, I just wanted to say that…" When I turned to look at her, she stopped moving, her hands going behind her back. "I'm sorry for everything that I've done to you for the past ten years. I didn't think that you would repay your debt, but you did. And for doubting you, I am sorry. I'm sure that the Monster's Ball will be an amazing event. Everyone is talking about it. Anyway…I better go."

"Isabella," I said, going to her as I pulled my jacket on, buttoning it. "You are a very good businesswoman, and I appreciate you for everything that you've done. I have one favor that I need to ask you."

"Yes?"

"I want you to keep an eye on Emma for me. I haven't spoken to her in a week, but the last time I spoke to her, she didn't look good. She also seemed very withdrawn and moody. I worry for her, especially with Christine being with her when they're alone."

She nodded in understanding. "She hasn't said much to me. I think she fell in love with you throughout these ten years, even though that wasn't supposed to be the case. For you, I'll keep an eye on her."

"Thank you," I said, walking her up the corridor and back to the office. "I'll be in touch." She nodded, and I left soon after, taking the car to the hotel. I nearly ran into the hotel, taking the elevator up. I stepped out once the elevator reached her floor, going to her room and knocking gently. She answered after a few moments, a glass of wine in hand. She stepped aside and let me in. I saw that there was a half-empty bottle of wine on the coffee table, which told me that she already had one glass and that she was on her second. I took her hand, walking her over to the couch and sitting down with her. I held her hand, kissing it softly. "I need to tell you what happened. Let me start at the beginning."


	31. Erik's Story

Fifteen years ago, I was walking into a classroom full of brooding teenagers for a class called Music Appreciation. Gasps of shock and horror were followed by silence, but were made by everyone except one person. This person was a little fourteen year old girl who was a freshman, sitting next to the golden boy of her freshman class. I know you remember that day. You locked your eyes on me, and you couldn't look away. You were so eager, ambitious, and ready to learn. Nothing was going to stop you. I wrote my name on the board and introduced myself. I didn't spend time going around the room for the others to introduce themselves to me because I didn't really care. I never wanted to teach, because I always thought that teaching wasn't a skill that I possessed. Not only that, but it was obvious that I scared them, and I didn't care to know who I scared. The first question I asked was who could sing. You were the only one who stood up. I asked what your name was, and you replied, "I'm only Sophia, sir, but I have the best voice in the room." I asked you to sing something for me, and I still remember what you sang. A Broadway classic:  _On My Own_  from  _Les Miserables_. You blew everyone out of the water, even me. If you want to know the moment that I fell in love with you, it was then. I didn't know if we would end up together, but I knew that I loved you right then and there. I also knew that I didn't want to leave you. I strived to become the best teacher I could be, and if it wasn't for you, I would have lost my sanity.

Throughout the four years I had you as a student, I watched as you grew up and as your talent grew beyond what Davenport could do for you. I knew that you were destined for great things, and I was going to help you. That final year I had you was one for the books, I assure you of that. You were with Drake, and after that class trip to Paris, everything changed. You went through a lot, especially with Buquet, but through all of that pain, we grew closer. I grew to love you even more, and I knew that you loved me too. That song we wrote together was amazing, and our first kisses that we shared still burn in my mind. Unfortunately, after the trial and everything, I knew that I had to leave. I came back for you though, to say goodbye before I let you go to New York.

We kept a weekly phone date after you moved to New York. I loved hearing about all of your adventures, your classes, your friendship with Emma, everything. As the weeks drew on and on, I knew that I had to see you. I set a date for Christmas Eve, getting tickets for  _La Boheme_  and planning a great romantic evening. Neither of us deserved to be alone on Christmas. You and I both knew when we got back into that limo after the opera that we were going to end up spending the night together. When we made love, it was beautiful and it was romantic and spontaneous. I'll let you in on a little secret. I never counted your rape as losing your virginity, and the night we made love, I was a virgin. I was happy to give myself to you fully, just as you were happy to fully give yourself to me. As I laid there, watching you sleep, I thought of your career and what would happen if I was there. Even though I would be there to guide you, I would also be there to stand in your way. I gave you a kiss as I pulled out of your grasp and got dressed. Before I left, I whispered a sweet goodbye into your ear and I left.

Six months later, summer came and over the months, I realized that I had made a mistake. I wanted to be with you through everything that you did. I just didn't realize that it would take me six months to see the mistake that I made. I moved to New York in June, and I went to your loft just after I moved in. When I knocked, Emma answered the door. I greeted her with a hello and asked if you were there. "No," she replied, her hand on the door. "She's not here. She's away." Before I could ask her for an explanation, she slammed the door in my face. A week later, I returned to the loft, knocking again and like before, Emma answered.

"Emma, it's important that I speak with Sophie. Is she here?"

"No, she's not," she replied, slamming the door in my face again.

The third time I went back to the loft, I wasn't going to be ignored. When Emma opened the door, she wasn't even going to wait until I asked if you were there. She got ready to slam the door in my face, but I stopped her, pushing the door open and towering over her. "Emma, I'm done playing games. I want to know where Sophie is, and I want to know now. So tell me, where is she?"

She sighed, closing the door and offering me a seat at the island. From the kitchen, I could see your room. It was clean, and the bed was made. It looked like you hadn't been there in a while. She got me a cup of tea before telling me what was going on. "She's not here, like I told you before."

"Well, where is she? I need to find her."

"I'm surprised that you care now, six months after the fact."

I didn't know what she was talking about. I sipped at my tea, lifting an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

She blinked, and then gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. "Oh, my God. You don't know. She never told you, did she?"

"Tell me what? Emma, what in the hell is going on?"

She sighed, running her hand through her hair. "A month and half after you guys hooked up, Sophie found out she was pregnant."

Hearing that news come out of her mouth nearly made me fall out of my chair, and I couldn't blame you for not telling me. I knew that when you woke up the next morning, you would figure that I had gotten what I had been trying to get since your freshman year and that there was no need to talk to me again. I immediately regretted leaving you that night, and not contacting you afterward.

Emma continued to tell me how you had been hiding the pregnancy at school and during your performances. After the spring semester was over, you had made plans to stay at a clinic for unwed mothers. It was out in the middle of upstate New York and in the middle of nowhere. No one would have found you there. She gave me all of the information, including how you planned to give the baby up for adoption, but I didn't realize that it would come with a price. In exchange of the information, once I was able to get custody of the baby, I would have to marry Emma. This was strictly a business proposition. Somehow, Emma and her mother knew that I was planning on saving my money and opening a theme park on Coney Island. Emma's mother would loan me the money, I would marry Emma, and the child would have a mother and a father. That was the deal, and our marriage has been nothing but a lie. I agreed to the deal, went through all of the legalities, and on September 16, 2008, Christine Sophia Destler was born. On September 18th, Emma and I were married.

I have never forgiven myself for that night, and for not being there for you. The doctors at the clinic told you that the baby had been adopted by a nice newlywed couple who agreed to the original adoption documents. I named the baby Christine Sophia after you and your great-great-great grandmother, Christine Daae. What else could I have done? I kept the secret hidden from the world in order to protect you and your career. I may have made the wrong choices throughout these past ten years, but these choices were made out of the best interests of not only you, but Christine as well.


	32. Sophia's Reaction

**Sophia's POV  
** So there it was. Everything was out in the open. He was blackmailed into marrying Emma for the start-up money for Phantasma, and together, they raised our daughter for the past ten years. I sighed heavily, downing what was left of my second glass of wine, leaning back against the couch, still holding his hand. He sat there, quiet, finished with his story. I didn't realize that he had loved me for so long. I thought that he had only fallen in love with me during that final year of school together. After all this time, I still loved him, even though he hid the truth from me. I looked at him, still holding his hand, feeling completely numb. "Really," I said at first, my anger coming through. "Yay! I have a daughter! Not only that, but you spent ten years raising her with my former best friend and you didn't think to tell me when I saw her for the first time!" When he sat there, quiet, I knew that I had exploded and there was no reason to. "I'm sorry. Why did it take you so long to tell me," I asked him quietly, watching his reaction. He only sighed, shaking his head. ****  


"I wanted to tell you. There were so many times over the past few months where I wanted to tell you, but I either chickened out or we got interrupted. If anything, it was my fault, and I'm sorry for not telling you."

"Well, I'm glad I know now," I said comfortingly, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. He lifted my hand, kissing it softly. I sighed softly, rubbing my eyes. "One heck of a birthday present, that's for sure."

"Like I said, this isn't how I wanted you to find out."

"I know," I said, taking it all in. "We have a daughter. Surprise."

He chuckled, leaning over to kiss me softly. "You don't know how horrible I feel about this. I should have told you sooner, especially with the class reunion a month ago."

"Trust me, with everything that happened that weekend, it probably wasn't the best time."

"Regardless, it was still my fault."

"Erik, we can go back and forth like this all night. The point is I know now, and I'm happy that I know. Now, I want to tell you something. I want to be a part of her life. I want to be a mother to her, especially now since the divorce proceedings are due to start with any time. I want to be with you and with her as a family."

He smiled, pulling me in for another kiss. "As much as I'm happy to hear you say that, I'd like to know your plan on that."

"The divorce proceedings will be starting soon. Emma will be coming by the house to get her stuff and you will be busy on the weekends. I can get her from school and watch her on the weekends, and yet allow time for her and Emma until the divorce and custody is finalized. As for me after the performance, I plan on staying in New York and having a career here. I won't tour again until Christine is older. I don't want to miss another moment with her. I love her."

He smiled, kissing me again, cupping my face in his hands. "I'll make sure that you and her get plenty of time together. As for your performance, I don't think we should put it off any longer. I want you to perform the weekend of the Monster's Ball. It will be perfect, and it will be the highlight of the evening. Now, in a couple of days, I want you to come by and we'll try on some dresses for the performance. I have a great idea in mind."

I nodded as he stood up, getting ready to go. "I'm sorry I left her behind."

"I know you are, but you can make up for it now. She loves you, Sophie. Not only as a fan, but I think she loves you as a mother."

"Do you realize how different things would be if I would have called you? If I would have told you the truth back then, we would have been together. I would have let my career just disappear in order to have a family."

"I couldn't let that happen. You had your whole life ahead of you."

"And Emma?"

"Emma wasn't as talented as you were. She saw that, but she figured that she could finish school while I raised Sophie during the day."

"You were also trying to get the park going."

"That was a work in progress. I had to get a lot of permits to go through, and thanks to Emma and Isabella's influence in the city, they were able to get them through."

I sighed, pouring myself another glass. "I want to be her mother, Erik. I will invoke my parental rights during the divorce proceedings."

"And I'm fine on that. On one condition."

"Name it."

"You have to fire Drake. Cut him off from all contact and money. Quit paying for his hotel room and everything else that you have given him."

I just smiled, leaning back against the couch. "I already did."

"What?"

"He hasn't been here in a week. I was tired of paying for his hotel room, especially when he hardly used it anyway. Besides, after what happened at the reunion, he had it coming. All of his belongings are behind the front desk downstairs so when and if he comes back, everything will be there for him."

He only smiled, leaning down to kiss me again. "Thank you for doing that. Thank you for seeing that he wasn't good for you." He pulled away, standing back up and moving toward the door. "Do you want me to stay here? Just in case he comes by."

"No, I'll be okay. I doubt he's going to come by, unless he needs money."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

He nodded, telling me goodbye and leaving the room. I sat there, thinking of the past ten years and where I had been. Paris, San Francisco, Milan, and Rome to name a few. Even though Drake was with me throughout those years, it wasn't the same. I thought of how different it would have been if I had a family waiting for me back home, or traveling with me. Then I thought of how Christine would suffer if she was constantly shuffled around from state to state or to a different country. I was suddenly relieved that she did have some stability in her life. Then I thought of Emma. Emma was abusing Christine. She was abusing my daughter. I suddenly became angry, wanting to hurt Emma for hurting Christine. I would make sure that Erik had that ammo for the divorce. Emma would never see my daughter again. I wasn't sure how much time had passed when I finished the bottle of wine, but it was late. I moved off of the couch, setting the empty bottle and glass on the bar when there was a hard pounding at the door. I whipped around at the bar as the hard pounding continued. I heard Drake's voice on the other side, telling me to let him in. I swallowed my fear, ready to stand up to him and tell him everything. I went to the door and opened it, allowing him to come inside. He was livid, having discovered his belongings were behind the front desk downstairs. He stomped inside and I closed the door going to him. "Drake, you seem angry. What's going on?"

"What's going on? Oh, like you don't know," he said, coming to grip my arms, but I stepped out of his reach. "Why is all of my shit downstairs behind the front desk?"

"I quit paying for your room."

"What in the name of all that is holy would possess you to do that?"

"Um…probably the fact that I'm firing your ass."

He lunged at me, but I stepped out his way again, laughing a bit as he tripped over his feet, regaining himself quickly. "You're firing me?! You can't fire me!"

"Oh, yes, I can. Here is why I'm firing you. You are a drug addict. All of the money I have paid you or given you has gone to drugs. You have never acted in my best interests and you have abused me and your powers as my manager. The class reunion was the last straw. You tried to rape me, and if it wasn't for me fighting back, you would have succeeded. That's what you've been after this whole time, just to get in my pants or just plain get back together. Well, guess what? My heart belongs to another. It has always belonged to him. You could never accept that. Another reason for your firing, and the most important, is that I don't want you around my daughter." His eyes widened, and he looked at me out of shock. "Yes, that's right. I have a daughter. Christine. She is mine and Erik's child. Ten years ago, we made love and it was the best sex that I have ever had. I got pregnant and he raised the child out of the goodness of his heart. I'm going to be with my daughter, and there is nothing that you can go or say to change that. And you can be jealous all you want because you will never have what he had. And with that, Drake, you're f –"

He came at me out of nowhere. I couldn't stop him. He had flown into a rage and he was coming at me. He knocked me to the ground first, punching my ribs and face. I tried to block the blows as best as I could, but he was on top of me. I tried to crawl away, but he kicked me. I don't know how long the beating went on. I was bleeding, my eye was swelling shut, and in immense pain. He stood over me for a while, and then left, slamming the door shut. I tried to crawl to the coffee table, trying to get to my phone, but I was too weak. I laid there, and soon, everything went black.


	33. Dreams Within The Dark

**Sophia's Dream  
** Darkness. That's what the backstage area was filled with. Complete darkness. The only sound I could hear were the stagehands calling to their partners to see if they were ready to move sets and scenery around. I walked through the darkness, making my way towards the stage. Suddenly, a small voice cut through the darkness. It was Christine's voice. She soon appeared in front of me, walking around and exploring the corridors, vocalizing in the darkness. I began to follow her, losing her in the maze. Suddenly, there was another voice, trying to draw me away from her. It was Drake's voice, so soft and pleading with me, even though I wasn't meant to listen. He was there, down another corridor, pulling me away from her. ****  


_Will she sing?_  
 _Will she flee?_  
 _What is she thinking now?_  
 _Is it him?_  
 _Is it me?_  
 _Devil take the hindmost…_ __  


He disappeared and Christine reappeared, not even noticing me. This time, I ran after her until Erik appeared in front of me. He placed his hand on my neck and pulled me in for a gentle kiss. As he leaned his forehead against mine, Drake reappeared behind me and they began to sing simultaneously.

_Will she stay?_  
 _Will she go?_  
 _Does she know?_  
 _Even now?_  
 _Please, Sophie_  
 _Stop the show!_ __  


**Obey your heart**  
 **And sing for me**  
 **You want it so**  
 **Stay and be mine**  
 **Eternally** ****  


_**Devil take the hindmost…** _

Christine walked only a few feet from us. She was within hands reach. I pushed the two away and reached for her, only to have them continue singing to me, beckoning me.

__**Now it's time  
** __**So make your choice  
** _**Do it for Christine** _ __**  
**

_Use your head_

**No time to wait**

__**Hesitate  
** _**We're all undone** _ __**  
**

I didn't reach her before she disappeared again. This time, I tried to stay on the winding passageways of the backstage corridors, and she continued to cross my path. She was always out of my reach. Drake and Erik appeared again, this time keeping their distance. They only thing that was different now was that Emma was here, and she was a lot closer to Christine than I was. I had to get Christine away from her. I ran to them, ending up at a dead end as the three began to sing.

*Perhaps she won't go on  
Perhaps she'll lose her nerve  
Perhaps her voice won't serve  
And she will fail him now  
And then Sophia will get what she deserves*

_Will she stay?_  
 _Will she go?_  
 _Does she know?_  
 _Even now?_  
 _Please, Sophie_  
 _Stop the show!_ __  


**Obey your heart**  
 **And sing for me**  
 **And sing for me**  
 **You, me, the child**  
 **Eternally** ****  


_***Devil take the hindmost…*** _

I turned myself around and ended up center stage, in a gown, ready to perform. This time, I couldn't run; my feet were frozen in place. Christine was ushered backstage to one of the wings by a stagehand. I shouted for her, but my voice was muted. She couldn't hear me. Soon, the others appeared in the wings, singing to me again. Emma appeared behind Christine, her hands on her shoulders.

*Perhaps she won't go on  
Perhaps she'll lose her nerve  
Perhaps her voice won't serve  
And she will fail him now  
And then Sophia will get what she deserves*

_Will she stay?_  
 _Will she go?_  
 _Does she know?_  
 _Even now?_  
 _Please, Sophie_  
 _Stop the show!_ __  


**Obey your heart**  
 **And sing for me**  
 **And sing for me**  
 **You, me, the child**  
 **Eternally** ****  


_***Devil take the hindmost** _

__**Now it's time  
** __**No turning back  
** __**All is on the line  
** __**Here it is  
** __**The final dance  
** _**One last chance to get what's mine*** _ __**  
**

I shouted at Erik to get Christine away from Emma, my voice muted again. He walked away. I even looked to Drake to beg him for help, but he was gone too. They only person who remained was Emma and she had Christine; no one would be able to save her. Emma just smirked at me before turning Christine away to leave.

*Devil take the hindmost…*


	34. Shades of Blue

**Sophia's POV  
** There was daylight shining through the balcony doors. No idea what time it was. Off and on through the night, I tried to get to my phone. Unfortunately, I never did get very far. The pain was too great and I would end up passing out from it. This went on for hours, until I finally just gave up. The hours passed and night fell. It was late when I heard the knocks on the door. I let out a low groan, but I knew that they couldn't hear me. After a few minutes, the knocking stopped and footsteps retreated down the hallway. I tried again to crawl to the coffee table, nearly making it this time before I collapsed with a moan. After a while, the knocking resumed again, this time followed by the lock clicking and the door opening. I heard three sets of footsteps, then Fleck's voice. ****  


"Sophie? Sophie, it's Fleck," she said softly, treading lightly into the room. "Sophie, we're worried about you. Erik sent us to check on you." I heard the other two sets of footsteps retreat to the bedroom as Fleck's footsteps moved closer to me. I reached up, moaning in order to get her attention. She turned and she nearly screamed when she saw me. "Oh, my God," she said, yelling for the others as she ran to me, looking me over. "Who did this? Was it him?" I could only nod slightly before she told me not to move. The others came in, silent as they got me up off of the floor, laying me on the couch. "Go get the Master," she commanded, just as I lost consciousness again.

The next thing I felt was a wet washcloth on my face, cleaning my wounds. From the gentle touch, I could tell that it was Erik. I slowly opened my good eye, looking at him. His eyes screamed anger and fury. He was going to avenge me for what happened. Drake was in a lot of danger. He continued to wash my face, stopping every now and again to examine my ribs, legs and arms which were covered in bruises. Fleck was there, along with Gangle and Squelch, helping him when they could. Fleck came over with an icepack, handing it to him. He gently placed it over my eye, brushing my hair back, observing me. He then turned to the others, dismissing them. They left quietly, and he leaned down, wrapping his arms around me to give me as gentle of a hug as he could. "I am so sorry," he whispered to me, kissing my cheek before pulling back up. "I should have stayed. I had a feeling that something was going to happen. I should have stayed with you." As I moved to get up, he shook his head, his hands gently pushing me back down. "You're in no condition to move. I want to take you to the hospital."

"No," I whispered, my voice hoarse and weak. "I don't want anyone to see me like this."

"You could have a concussion."

"I have a pretty clear memory of what happened," I said, moving to adjust myself on the couch. "I passed out more from the pain than anything."

"Where is he?"

"I have no idea. I told him everything. I came clean, and I fired him all within one setting. He just…lost it. I would have never thought in my life that he would beat me so mercilessly."

"Was he high when you saw him?"

"No, and I think he was really in need for a fix. Honestly, I never would have thought that this would happen. This is my fault."

"Don't you dare blame yourself for what he did. You couldn't have predicted his actions. I'm staying here with you."

"But Christine –"

"Is going to be with the trio and she'll be all right. I'm staying with you from now on."

"Erik, this will just be ammo for Emma to use."

"I don't care. You're not going to be staying here alone."

I smiled a little, happy to know that he was going to be there to protect me. Drake didn't come back to the hotel after that. After a few days, I was healing well, but I wasn't leaving the hotel room. I had a black eye after the swelling went down and the bruises were fading. Erik had out an all-points bulletin on Drake's whereabouts. When he wasn't at the park, he was with me, nursing me back to health. We looked through some costume designs together for the performance and for the Monster's Ball. We decided on a blue Victorian style dress for the performance and in the same style, a red dress for the Monster's Ball. A week after the attack, my eye was back to normal and Erik had gotten the gowns for me to try on. The bruises were nearly healed and some had already disappeared. Fleck was helping me with the first gown as Erik waited out in the living room, checking his phone for any updated whereabouts on Drake. "The Monster's Ball will be the first Saturday of October, starting at 9:00pm," he said to me as I got dressed, Fleck tying the back of the gown. "Your performance will be at 8:00pm, and we'll go to the ball afterward. How does that sound?"

"I can't believe that it's only three weeks away," I replied, gasping as Fleck tied the strings tight. "It sounds great. Everything seemed to have worked out for you."

"Yes, well, the divorce could be going a lot smoother, but Emma is making sure she muddles that path any way that she can."

I thanked Fleck when she finished tying the back of the gown, going out into the living area, the train gliding across the floor as I walked. He turned around, standing when he saw me. I knew that I had left him breathless and speechless. The first gown was the blue one, and it did look gorgeous on me. The train of the dress was accented with peacock eyes stitched into the ruffles, the iridescent colors shining in the light of the setting sun. "My God," he said, coming to me and taking my hand, spinning me around to get a better look. "You look amazing. This is definitely the dress for the stage. I can do the peacock eyes as the backdrop for you. The whole stage darned in hues of blue. You'll look amazing."

I blushed lightly, loving the feel of the fabric against my skin. "I'm sure that the red one will be just as stunning. I can see you dressing up as Red Death to match me."

He chuckled, leaning down to kiss me. "I'm happy that you like them. You really do look like your great-great-great grandmother in them."

I graciously accepted his kiss before retreating to the bedroom to switch dresses. "I wonder what she would think of all this, if she were alive today."

"I think she would offer the same advice you gave to Christine."

I lifted my eyebrow as Fleck started to untie the back of the gown. "When did I offer Christine advice?"

I heard him walking down the hallway, singing softly.

Look with your heart

And not with your eyes…

I chuckled. "It was just a lullaby I thought of. I remember dreaming about it with Gustave and Christine in nearly the same scenario; only Raoul wasn't spending any time with them because he was a gambling drunk." I blinked, realizing that I had just revealed that I was having the dreams again. He stopped walking, listening to me. "I mean…well, you know…it happens, right?"

"She hasn't stopped singing it since the weekend that she stayed with you," he said, going back out into the living area. "She really adores you. Whether she has picked up that you're her real mother or not, I have no idea."

I slipped the dress off and pulled the red one on, waiting as Fleck worked on the back. "Once the divorce goes through and you have full custody, I'll invoke my parental rights. We'll be able to get married, and actually start a family." When he didn't reply, I didn't think anything of it. Fleck soon finished with tying the back of the red dress and I looked in the mirror. My face immediately went pale. It was the same dress that I wore in that dream with the waltz. The one that I was wearing when Erik tossed me off of the pier into the water below. The dress was a fire red, with black beading and red sequins accenting the bodice. There was also a long flowing train with a hoop hidden within the folds of the skirt so I could slip it over the wrist and not trip myself on the fabric. I swallowed a hard lump in my throat as goose bumps rose all over my skin. I made my way out into the living area to show him, and he was waiting for me, standing at the balcony. He didn't look at me at first; he seemed to be struggling with something. When I put my hand on his shoulder, he turned his head, smiling at me. "Did you hear what I said?"

"What did you say?"

"The summarized version is that I can't wait to have a family, and more importantly, start a family with you." I leaned up to kiss him, but he turned his head, dodging my kiss. I planted my feet on the ground again, looking at him. "Erik, what's wrong? Is there something on your mind?"

"Get dressed. I want to talk to you."

I lifted an eyebrow, but I didn't question him. I retreated to the bedroom and Fleck quickly helped me get the dress off. I dressed in a pair of capris and a blouse, going back out in the living area. He took my hand and together, we left the hotel, and took the car to the park. He helped me out and took my hand again. We walked down to the beach. I carried my flip flops in my free hand, letting the sand go through my toes, the warm saltwater of the ocean crashing upon my feet and the sand. "What's going on, Erik? I mentioned family, something that you have had for ten years with our daughter and Emma, and you get scared like a guy who was cornered into paying child support. So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Sophia, I love you with all of my heart, and God knows I want nothing more than to be with you for the rest of my life as my wife and the mother of our children." He gave my hand a gentle squeeze before speaking again. "I just don't feel like getting together immediately after the divorce goes through is a good idea."

"Why would you think that?"

"Emma's not well. I don't know what's going on with her. She won't speak to me, and she's hardly speaking to her mother. I don't want her to find out that we're together that soon after the divorce. She could snap and go after Christine or you. If either of you got hurt, I would never forgive myself. Just give me one year after the divorce is finalized. One year, that's all I ask. After that, we can be together."

"Emma's not crazy," I said, stopping in place, contemplating on whether or not to tell him about the abuse. Surely, by now, Christine has told him...right? "Not only that, but not even her society friends have that kind of power to hurt the people that you love. However, if that's the way that you feel about it, we won't be together. You just say when, and I'll come running." I leaned up, kissing him gently.

"Emma has other friends besides the ones who are high on the society ladder," he warned. "She has friends in the mob and possibly a little higher up. I can't prove it, but I know that if she asked, she would have power behind her." I kissed him again. This time, he returned the kiss, his hand entangled in my hair. "I love you so, so much."

"I love you too," I whispered, kissing him again before I bid him goodnight, returning to the hotel. I had never felt more alone than I did then. Not even the night after Drake had beaten me made me feel more alone than what I was feeling now. One year. I had to wait another year before we could be together. There's a lot that can happen in a year. People change; feelings change. Somehow, I didn't sense a happy ending a year from now. I sensed only heartache and despair.


	35. Beneath a Moonless Sky

**Sophia's POV  
** After a few days, I went to see him. It was late, and I couldn't sleep. I knew that he would be up at the office, working on paperwork for the park and preparing for the Monster's Ball. I walked up the dark staircase, nearly tripping over my feet. There was only a lamp on in the office, and he was sitting at his desk. He was exhausted, mentally and emotionally drained from the divorce hearings. I didn't knock; I walked over silently, standing behind him and wrapping my arms around him. As soon as he felt my embrace, the tension left his body. He dropped his pen and leaned back into my hold, turning his head to kiss my cheek. He buried his head into the curve of my neck, kissing my skin softly. I closed my eyes, slowly lifting my head to kiss his forehead. "It's late," I whispered, bending down to kneel before him. "Come with me. You need to sleep." ****  


"I can't sleep," he said softly, pulling me up into his lap, moving my hair behind my shoulders. "I haven't been able to sleep for a while."

"And why is that," I asked, rubbing the back of his neck, working on the knots that were there.

"Nightmares," he replied, moving his head down so I could work on his neck more. "They're nightmares about the past."

"You mean us in the past," I prompted, moving my hand down to work between his shoulder blades, my other hand unbuttoning the first two buttons to give me more access. When he nodded, I continued. "What about us in the past could give you nightmares?"

"You dying," he whispered, and then suddenly grabbed a hold of me. His arms wrapped around me so tightly, I couldn't breathe. "You died here."

"You mean Christine died here," I corrected through strained breath, raising his head to look at me. "How can you be having these dreams and I'm not? I haven't had any dreams for weeks."

"I don't know. All I know is that you died here. You died in my arms. I couldn't save you."

"Erik," I said softly, kissing his forehead as I cupped his face in my hands. "Nothing bad is going to happen. I will not die, and I will not leave you. I promise."

"How can you promise something that you have no control over," he asked cynically, placing his hands on my wrists and pulling my hands away.

"Because that was the past," I replied, getting up out of his lap, the sound of thunder rolling in the distance. A storm was on its way. I took the ring off of my finger, showing it to him. "When you gave this to me, you said that no matter what, we would always find each other. You also said that we were destined to be together. If this, all of this that has occurred this year isn't a sign to you that what you said was true, and then I put my faith in words that were only lies." I put the ring back on my finger, and left the office, my feet gliding down the stairs. As I stepped outside, rain had started hitting the pavement. I made my way through the dark amusement park, wrapping my sweater around me. However, I didn't realize that he had followed me. He took my hand as the rain turned into a straight downpour, running with me down the stairs to the beach, taking shelter beneath the boardwalk. I panted slightly, shedding my sweater that was drenched from the rain. Suddenly, he pulled me to him, kissing me hard as his hand tangled within my wet hair. I kissed him back, my hands holding onto him for balance. We pulled back for air as the storm raged above us.

"Sing with me," he pleaded, kissing me again.

"Sing what," I asked him, kissing him back, feeling him backing me against a wall of the boardwalk. "We have no music."

"I've had these words in my head for months. Just follow my lead," he told me, kissing me again, gently pressing his forehead against mine. He closed his eyes, starting to sing.

**Once there was a night**  
 **Beneath a moonless sky**  
 **Too dark to see a thing**  
 **Too dark to even try…** ****  


I shuddered, his words penetrating my mind and my soul. My memories of that night, so long ago, were flooding my mind along with his words, entwining the actions with emotion, passion and love. I opened my mouth, and without thinking, I sang.

_I stood at your side_  
 _Tormented by my choice_  
 _I couldn't see your face_  
 _But trembled at your voice_ __  


_And I touched you_

**And I felt you**

_**And I heard those ravishing refrains** _

_The music of your pulse_

**The singing in your veins**

_And I held you_

**And I touched you**

_And embraced you_

**And I felt you**

_**And with every breath and every sigh** _

_I felt no longer scared_

**I felt no longer shy**

__**At last our feelings bared  
** _**Beneath a moonless sky…** _ __**  
**

As the storm continued to rage above us, he kissed me again, his hands roaming the curves of my body while I worked on unbuttoning his shirt. I left it open as I kissed him back. His hand slid up my thigh and up the folds of my dress, and I gasped softly at his touch. While he continued to massage my skin, he moved his lips down to my neck, nipping and sucking softly. My legs quivered and I wrapped them around his waist, holding him to me as I continued.

_And blind in the dark_  
 _As soul gazed into soul_  
 _I looked into your heart_  
 _And saw you pure and whole_ __  


He slid my underwear out of the way and kissed down my chest, his hands cupping my ass for a bit. His lips moved back up in the curve of my neck, nipping and sucking harder than before, causing my body to melt into his. I kissed down his jawline and to his neck, biting and sucking in return as his hand moved to unzip his pants and adjusting. I could feel him resting against my thighs, taking his time to enter, which caused me to only quiver more in anticipation. His lips moved up to my ear, nibbling on my earlobe as he took a moment, singing his reply softly.

**Cloaked under the night**  
 **With nothing to suppress**  
 **A woman and a man**  
 **No more, and yet no less** ****  


He kissed me hard as he entered me in one swift movement and I moaned loudly, holding onto him as our hips began to move in sync. He continued to sing as he moved, his hands holding my hips and body in place.

**And I kissed you**

_I caressed you_

__**And the world around us fell away  
** __**We said things in the dark  
** _**We never dared to say** _ __**  
**

**And I caught you**

_And I kissed you_

**And I took you**

_And I begged you_

__**With a need too urgent to deny  
** __**And nothing mattered then  
** __**Except for you and I  
** __**Again and then again  
** _**Beneath a moonless sky…** _ __**  
**

I gripped onto him as our bodies moved together, the passion that was between now hitting us at full force. It didn't take long for the waves of heat to overtake me, just as they had done before. He suppressed our moans and my passionate cries with kisses, even though we were all alone in the park and the storm continued above us. Slowly, over time, we ended up on the sand, my hips gliding over him at a good pace. As I took him, the storm began to die out with distant rumbles of thunder and small patter of rain hitting the boardwalk above us. I could feel his body tensing beneath me, which felt all too familiar. He was on the edge, and he was fighting back with everything that he could muster. Feeling him beneath me only caused me to move faster over him, and he gripped my hips, guiding me as he groaned, sweat breaking out on his forehead. My nails dug into his chest as the final wave crashed over us, moaning as we finished. I felt him filling me and spilling out as I crashed on top of him, resting on his chest. I closed my eyes, breathing deeply as I replayed the recent events in my head. Oh, my God. What have we done?

Immediately, I felt a twinge of guilt, which soon turned into a flood when I felt his body against mine. We had been together, and the divorce wasn't even final yet. Somehow, I knew that Emma would eventually find out about this and use it against him in the divorce. I opened my eyes, seeing that the sky had become a light blue with touches of orange and pink. The sun was rising; we had spent the entire night together under the boardwalk. He rubbed my back softly, kissing the top of my head, indicating to me that he was ready to get up. I moved off of him and we redressed silently, making eye contact with each other only once. When I picked up my sweater from the sand, he came over, kissing my temple, taking my hand. "Come with me to the office," he said, entwining my fingers with his. From the sound of his voice, I could tell that he was feeling guilty also. Together, we walked back to the office, silent and not making eye contact with another. The park was still desolate, the boardwalk and pavement wet from the storm that had just passed. We walked into the concert hall and then to the office, both of us exhausted from earlier and not having any sleep. He went behind his desk, opening a drawer and pulling out a very old folder with music inside of it. He stayed behind the desk, handing it to me. Upon examining it, I saw its age, and recognized the folder from my dreams. I looked up at him, and then slowly opened it, the original music still intact within. I cleared my throat, skimming over the music while I hummed the melody.

_Love never dies_  
 _Love will continue…_ __  


I looked at him again, closing the folder. "Is this really his," I asked, standing with the music against my chest, my arms wrapped around it. He nodded, sitting down in his chair.

"That was the song that she sang here. I wanted this to be the song for you to sing at your performance. However, now since I'm having those dreams, I'm not sure if I want you to sing it or not. I am so scared of losing you."

I came around the desk, setting the music on it and wrapping my arms around him. I kissed him gently, hugging him. "I want to sing this song. I want to sing it for you."

"Are you sure," he asked me, his arms around my waist.

"Yes, I'm sure. It would be a great tribute to them, and the melody is beautiful."

He nodded. "All right, but only if you're absolutely sure that you want to do this."

"I'm absolutely positively sure. I'll sing it like I've never sung before."

He chuckled, giving me a kiss. He sent me home shortly afterward to practice since the performance was only a couple of weeks away. Instead, I went to bed, exhausted from the night.


	36. Devil Take The Hindmost

**Sophia's POV  
** **7:00pm  
** The day before the performance was here. Over the last two weeks, I had shut myself away and practiced the song, holding back from singing the high notes until the performance. I was at my hotel room, getting my make-up and jewelry together to take to my dressing room. Erik had told me that my dressing room was ready, so if there was anything that I wanted to bring before the performance tomorrow, I could. There was still no sign of Drake, and he hadn't tried to contact me since the attack. I put a pair or sapphire earrings and a pair of ruby earrings for each dress, with a ruby necklace to match the red dress. Unfortunately, I didn't know what I was going to do for the blue dress. I only had the sapphire earrings. I closed the make-up box with my jewelry inside of it, grabbing a few other things for the dressing room, and leaving the hotel. After I got into the car to head to the park, I reflected on the day before. ****  


Earlier in the week, I had been called as a character witness in the divorce hearings for Erik. The lawyer asked me various questions pertaining to Erik and Emma, their relationship and they treated Christine. The lawyer asked I believed Emma would be a fit mother if custody was granted to her. I told the truth, telling the lawyer and the judge no. When the lawyer questioned for my reasoning, I declared in open court that I was Christine's biological mother, and that I knew that Emma had been abusing her throughout their ten year marriage, particularly increasing during the months that I had arrived back in New York and Christine began to spend time with me. Erik shot a look at Emma from across the courtroom, a look of rage written all over his face. He had known, or at least suspected, the abuse and my testimony had just confirmed it. When asked if I was planning on invoking my parental rights after the divorce was final, I said yes. I also said that Emma would never see my child again.

I wasn't sure if I should have used the words that I did, but I knew that I didn't want Emma anywhere near Christine after the divorce. Unfortunately, the divorce wasn't final yet, so Emma could still see Christine for as long and as much as she wanted. The car came to a stop outside the park service entrance and I got out, carrying my make-up box in one hand and my performance shoes in the other. I went through the stage door of the concert hall, wandering through the backstage corridors, looking for my dressing room. I could hear dancing rehearsal on stage, and as I passed by Emma's dressing room, I heard crying and breakable things being shattered against the wall. I turned around, recognizing the cry and seeing that the door was open slightly. I peeked in, seeing Christine balled up in the corner, her face red and her arms bruised from hands gripping them. Emma was standing over her, and she picked her up by the collar of her shirt, her hand drawn to smack her across the face.

I dropped the items that I held, bursting into the room and grabbing Emma by the hair. I yanked her back, causing her to drop Christine to the floor. I had taken her by complete surprise. Her eyes were wide and full of shock. I pushed Emma out the door and against the wall of the backstage corridor. When she tried to fight back, I pinned her to the wall, put my hand to her throat and squeezed, listening as she gasped for air. I turned my head slightly, seeing Christine behind me, peeking from behind the doorframe. "Christine, you need to go to your father's office. If he's not there, lock the door until I get there. Do you understand?" She nodded, and took off in a dead run away from the situation. I turned my attention back to Emma, slapping her across the face, quickly followed by a backhand. "How dare you lay your hands on my daughter? I should kill you where you stand." When she started to shake her head, I loosened my grip only slightly, keeping her against the wall. "You will not come near her again. From now on, she will be with me or with your soon-to-be ex-husband. If I see you near her, you better have made your final arrangements." I soon felt a hand on my shoulder, turning my head and seeing Isabella behind me.

"We've all committed sins, Sophia," she said in a low, gentle tone, coming between us and guiding the hand that was around Emma's throat back down to my side. "None are worse than abusing your child, no matter if you are the mother or the step-mother. We don't need to do this here. She won't come near Christine again." When Emma's coughing subsided, she opened her mouth to protest. Instead, Isabella shot her a look, and Emma's protests ceased. "You won't see her near Christine again," she repeated, staring Emma down. She regained her composure, going into her dressing room and slamming the door. I let out a low breath, looking down at my hand.

"Isabella, I am so sorry," I said softly. "I didn't mean –"

"Any mother would do the same to protect their child, even though I do not condone what Emma has done." She bent down, picking up my things and handing them to me. "Go, be with your daughter. I doubt I can smooth things over now, but I'll try." She departed into the dressing room, quietly shutting the door. I went to down the corridor, finding my dressing room and placing my things inside. After I closed and locked the door, I made a beeline for Erik's office, running so fast up the stairs that when I bumped into him, we collided and fell to the floor. I sighed, rubbing my arm as he stood up quickly, helping me up. He kissed me, giving me a quizzical look.

"Is Christine okay," I asked breathlessly, holding onto his arms. "Please, tell me that she's safe."

"She's fine. She's upstairs with Gangle. What happened?"

"I was looking for my dressing room, and I heard her crying. I saw Emma's dressing room door was open and I peeked inside. I saw Christine cowering in the corner and Emma was about to smack her across the face. I went in and pulled her away…I nearly choked her to death. I told Christine to go to your office and if you weren't there to lock the door until I got there. I nearly killed Emma. If it wasn't for Isabella, I may have."

He pulled me to him, hugging me and rubbing my back soothingly. "It will be all right. Christine will be with you tonight. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes. I want her to be with one of us until this performance is done and the divorce is final. Where are you going to be tonight? I want you to stay with me tonight."

"I have some things to take care of tonight, but I'll come to the hotel afterwards. I promise that I won't be too late."

I nodded, kissing him before we went upstairs to get Christine. She ran to me when we opened the door, hugging me tightly and thanking me for helping her. I ran my hand over her long, curly locks, soothing her before I took her with me. I wouldn't sleep that night. Not until Erik was there.

**Drake's POV  
** **2:00am  
** Four weeks. Twenty-eight methadone treatments and I was finally starting to feel like myself from ten years ago. However, that night from four weeks ago was a blur. I only remembered bits and pieces. I was in Sophie's room. We were fighting. I saw red. There was blood on my hands, hers and mine. I left. I looked down at my hands, staring at my knuckles and the scabs and scars that graced them. I sighed, ordering another drink as someone came into the bar. I ignored it at first until I heard her voice and she came into the light. ****  


"Evening, Bernie," she said so cheerfully, going up to the mob boss that I owed money to for the heroine and kissing his cheek before sitting at the bar. I glanced at her only for a moment, noticing that her hair was wrapped up in a bun and she was in jeans and a tank, her skin glistening from being wet. I turned back to my drink, but I was sure that she noticed me. "Coffee, please, and I'll just take it black." She turned as he poured her a cup, blinking in surprise. "Drake."

I turned to face her, sipping at my drink. "Emma…how nice it is to see you." Her eyes widened; she sensed something different about me. "Yes, I'm sober. Twenty-eight days. I'm still working out the kinks for drinking though."

"Wow…congratulations," she said, thanking the boss for her coffee as she sipped at it. She picked it up and moved down to sit next to me. "So, do you know where you are?"

"I believe I'm in Hell," I replied, pushing my drink away, rubbing my eyes. "I can't remember what happened past four weeks ago, and it's driving me insane. Sophie fired me. That's pretty much all I remember."

She bit her lip discreetly, sipping at her coffee. "You honestly don't remember?" When I shook my head no, she set her coffee down, taking my hand. "You beat Sophia to a bloody pulp when she fired you. Not only that, but she quit paying for your hotel room prior to her firing you. You nearly raped her at the class reunion, which was the last straw for her. She couldn't take it anymore. As for where you are…" she released my hand, sipping at her coffee again. "Around here, it's called Suicide Hall. Or at least that's what it was called in Coney Island's heyday. It was a nice little place where people didn't have anywhere else to go. Just a place where you could step off the side of the pier and quietly vanish."

"It seems like you know a lot about it," I said softly, staring into my glass.

"Me? I come here to swim."

_This town is coarse and cold and mean_  
 _It's hard to keep your conscience clean_  
 _Faceless in the crowd_  
 _Anything's allowed_ __  


_And so I come here each night and day_  
 _Come to wash it all away_  
 _Sink into the sea_  
 _Blue and cool and kind_  
 _Let it set me free_  
 _Let the past unwind_  
 _Leave the hurt behind…_ __  


She leaned in close, her chin resting on my shoulder. "Bernie didn't want me to say anything, but I'll go ahead and tell you because you're my friend. Your payment's due."

I swallowed, realizing what she meant. "I know, but how am I supposed to pay it? I don't have a job, and I'm pretty sure that most of my money is gone."

"There is one way that you can pay for it," she said, finishing the rest of the coffee. I turned to her, deciding to humor her idea. "I'll pay your debts off if you take Sophia away. The performance is tonight at 8:00 after my 7:00 show. If you can convince her to leave with you tonight, you won't have to worry about paying off anything in the city ever again."

I laughed lightly. "Emma, she won't go with me. She hates me."

"You two should have never come back to New York in the first place. This place was never a place for you, even though Sophia seemed to fit right in. Here's what you do. You go to the show tonight, and lay your cards all on the table. Just…just take her and go. Because you know what will happen if he hears her sing again. She'll be lost…as well as he."

"What are you saying," I said, standing up from my chair as she stood as well, trying to get ready to leave.

"You know what I'm saying."

_Fly across the sea_  
 _Put us out of mind_  
 _Close your eyes and flee_  
 _Let yourself stay blind_  
 _Leave this place behind…_ __  


After that, she bolted, running out of the club. I chased after her. "Emma, I've bested him before," I shouted, slamming the doors open and trying to follow the fading footsteps. "I'm not afraid of him! He's not Superman, you know?! If he had the courage to meet me face to face, man to man, I would –"

I felt my body slamming against a wall of an alley down the street from the club, and all I saw was dark and a shadow. Then I saw his mask.

**Erik's POV  
** I could have sworn that Drake was starting to piss himself when he saw me. His knees were buckling as he backed away from me. "Not afraid of me, you say," I asked in a menacing voice, approaching him slowly. He continued to back away, pointing a shaky finger at me. ****  


"S-stay back," he told me, backing himself into a corner. "I'll kill you if you come near me. I promise you!"

I lunged at him, but he barely escaped my grasp. My cape blew in the breeze as I turned to face him. "You insolent boy! Do you really think you can win her over again? She will never let you come near her. She loathes you."

"She loved me once," he said to me, circling me. I watched his movements closely, being mindful of my surroundings on the off chance that he would attack me. "I still love her. I know that I can win her back. I can win her back from you. Your music may speak to her, but her heart will always follow me!"

"You think so? You really think so? Follow you and all of your…charms? Just like she did before? That was a long time ago, Drake. And we were playing a different game."

**Look at you**  
 **Deep in debt**  
 **Stinking drunk**  
 **Pitiful**  
 **Shall we two make a bet?**  
 **Devil take the hindmost** ****  


When I sang this to him, it seemed like he grew some balls. He straightened up and approached me, although it was slowly and cautiously.

_Look at you_  
 _Foul as sin_  
 _Hideous_  
 _Horrible_  
 _Call the stakes_  
 _Deal me in  
_ _Devil take the hindmost_

I smirked, adjusting the jacket of my suit. There was no way that he was going to win this bet.

**Our Sophie shall choose tonight**

_Let her choose_

**Is she yours or mine?**

_Draw the line_

**If she sings  
** **You lose tonight**

_I won't lose_

**You leave from here**

_Fine_

**Disappear**

_Fine_

_And if she won't_  
 _If I win_ __  


**All your debts**  
 **Wiped away** ****  


_Very well_  
 _Let's begin_ __  


_**Devil take the hindmost** _

We shook on the bet. He lunged at me afterward, grabbing at my shirt to pull me down to him. I grabbed at his shirt, wanting so badly to just deck him.

**Our old game**  
 **It's been changed**  
 **Every roll, riskier**  
 **All the rules, rearranged** ****  


_You think you have the odds_  
 _You think you're in control_  
 _You think you've fixed the dice_  
 _Well I will gladly roll_  
 _I'll bet against the house_  
 _I'll even double down_ __  


**Fate has redesigned us**

He let me go, walking around me. I did the same, smoothing out my shirt and adjusting my mask.

_Fortune's on my side_  
 _I won her long ago_ __  


_I won her from you then_  
 _I'll wager even now_  
 _I'll win her back again_  
 _And when the game is done_ __  


**Cut the deck**  
 **Let us play**  
 **You and I**  
 **Once again**  
 **In the end** ****  


**Either way**

__**Devil take the hindmost  
** __**Now Sophie will choose at last  
** _**Is she yours or mine?** _ __**  
**

"You've a child," he said to me, walking past me before turning to face me. "Your bond's secure."

I scoffed, and then I realized it. He didn't remember the basis of his fight with Sophie when she fired him. I turned, grinning fiendishly. "Are you sure? Are you so sure?"

"What do you mean?"

**Such a child**  
 **Strange to see**  
 **Talented**  
 **Musical** ****  


"Huh?"

**Is she more her or me?**  
 **Which one do you find most?** ****  


He stopped for a moment, and then he lunged at me, throwing a punch, screaming, "You lie! She wouldn't do that to me!"

I laughed at his attempt, dodging his blows until I grabbed his arm, pushing him away from me. "She did and we have a beautiful daughter. I have held her, and embraced her. She is mine!"

_I call your bluff_  
 _The game is on_  
 _And we will see_  
 _Who wins out_  
 _Once and for all_ __  


**Deal the cards**  
 **Let them fall**  
 **Choose your hand**  
 **Try your best**  
 **He who wins** ****  


__**Wins it all  
** _**Devil take the hindmost** _ __**  
**

I gripped him by the throat and pulled him to me, choking him. I didn't kill him, even though I wanted to. For her, and all that he had done to her. "If she walks, you leave together. Pockets full and debts paid. If she sings…" I let him go, shoving him against the wall of the alley before disappearing into the shadows. "You leave and you leave her alone."

**Devil take the hindmost…**


	37. Before The Performance

**Sophie's POV  
** **7:30pm  
** I stood nervously while Fleck finished tying the back of my gown, trying to get my breath. Christine was sitting at the vanity table with a full length mirror behind it. She was vocalizing to herself as Fleck tied the final bow. I stepped out from the bathroom where I was dressing, checking myself out in the mirror. I nodded at Fleck, letting her know that it was okay to leave. She nodded, quietly leaving and closing the door behind her. Christine continued to vocalize, her voice eerily reminding me of Gustave in my dreams. I made sure that my hair was just right, smiling at the small jewels that graced it. However, something was missing. I smiled, turning to Christine, seeing that she was playing with my make-up. ****  


"Christine, could you hand me those earrings," I asked, pointing to the sapphires. "The sapphires on the left." She nodded, picking them up and handing them to me. I quickly put them in, smiling as I did so. "There," I said, turning to look at her. "How do I look?" She turned, smiling at me.

_You look so beautiful_  
 _So very beautiful_  
 _Like a queen in a book…_ __  


I took a tiara that I had in my make-up case, putting it on for show and pranced around the dressing room, which made us giggle. I took the tiara off, setting it on the vanity and kneeling in front of her.

_You, too, are beautiful_  
 _So very beautiful_  
 _Once this performance is through_  
 _We'll spend some time_  
 _Just us two_  
 _Won't that be fun?_ __  


She smiled, hugging me tightly. I hugged her back, standing up to start putting on my make-up. "I really do think that you look beautiful, Sophie. You're going to take everyone's breath away."

"Indeed, she will," a voice said from the door. I looked up, my make-up falling out of my hands. Drake was standing at my door, and he looked amazing. Not only that, he was completely sober. His grayish-blue eyes were completely clear. He was dressed in appropriate attire for the performance; a sharp tuxedo with a white bow tie. His blond hair was smoothed back and he was clean-shaven. He completely took my breath away. "She is taking my breath away as I stand here, just as she did the first time I saw her on the first day of high school."

"And look at you, Drake," I said as Christine stood up from the vanity, coming around behind me and taking one of my hands. "You look just like that handsome boy that I knew once. The one who would always give me a single red rose after every performance that I ever had."

He nodded at me, and then looked at Christine. "Please, Christine, if you don't mind, would you wait outside a while?"

"But when is Sophie going to sing? I don't want to miss it."

I smiled and walked her to the door. Drake stepped aside to leave access to the door, holding it open for her. "Go and wait backstage, my dear. Soon your father will fetch you there. You can watch from the wings." She smiled at me, and trotted away backstage. I turned and looked at Drake as he closed the door. "You say what you have to say and go. I have nothing to say to you." I went back to my vanity and began putting on my make-up. I heard him clear his throat, his footsteps walking around behind me.

*Since that fateful day  
Things have gone astray  
I'm not proud of the way that I acted  
The demands I made  
All our hopes mislaid  
I'm aware of the price they've exacted  
Though I have no right to ask you to  
There's one thing more I'd have you do  
If you love me as I love you…*

I stopped putting on my make-up, finding him in front of me. He was on his knees, pleading with me. He actually had tears in his eyes. But how was it that he could still love me after all of this time? I put my make-up brush down, taking his hands in mine. "Drake, I'm not sure that I can do what you want to ask of me. But go ahead and ask me and I'll see what I can do. However, if you want me to hire you back, that's not going to happen." He leaned down, kissing my hands, then he looked back up at me.

*Don't sing the song, dear*

"What? But Drake –"

*You have to know that something is terribly wrong, dear*

I shook my head. "But I have to do this. It's what I agreed to." He shook his head.

*That hell-spawned demon  
He's had us playing his game all along, dear*

"Let me just get through this. Listen, please…I need to." He cupped my face in his hands, stroking my cheeks with his thumbs. His touch was so soft, just as I remembered it. All of these old feelings that I once had for him came flooding back. The question was could I stop them from taking over.

*You need so much, it's true  
And I denied you  
You need the man in me  
Back here beside you  
You'll have him back, I vow  
Just ask it of me  
But we must leave here now  
If you still love me…*

He pulled me down, kissing me gently. Lovingly. His scent flooded my mind. I shook my head, pulling away. "Drake, I can't leave. I'm due on stage in fifteen minutes. I'm not going to leave him like this."

"Listen to me," he said, taking my hands again. "I've booked plane tickets for the red-eye to Paris. It leaves in an hour; we'll have just enough time. I'm begging you. Let's be on it for both our sakes. And for Christine's." He took my left hand, slipping my ring from Erik off of my finger, resting it on the vanity before taking my hands again.

*Leave this place behind…*

He leaned forward, kissing me again. I placed my hand on his cheek, not able to control myself as he held the kiss. Suddenly, I felt as if I was being watched. I looked out of the corner of my eye to the mirror, seeing a silhouette of a man in the mirror, as well as a glow of a mask in the light. I pulled away from Drake's embrace, shaking my head. "Go on backstage. Tell the stage manager not to disturb me. I need some time." He nodded, getting up and leaving the dressing room immediately. I moved my hands over my face, contemplating over what I should do. How did I know that this was the real Drake, and that he wasn't trying to get back on my good side after everything that has happened? And was he really sober? Or was he just playing me because he was out of funds? I had to find out. I bolted up from the vanity chair, running to the door. But I was locked in. I tried to turn the handle and it wouldn't budge. I was locked in from the outside. I knew that he had been watching me with him. I slowly turned around, feeling his presence inside the room. He was wearing his mask, and a black Victorian style suit. I backed against the door as he approached me. He stopped at the vanity chair, placing one hand upon it before offering his hand to me.

**You know his love is not enough**  
 **You know it isn't what you need**  
 **You know you're made of finer stuff**  
 **I think, on that, we're all agreed** ****  


**It's time to leave him in the dust**  
 **It's time to be who you should be**  
 **It's time to do now as you must**  
 **And set the music in you free** ****  


I let out a low sigh. I knew that he was right, and I couldn't resist him. I walked to him, taking his hand. He stood me in front of the mirror as I took a breath.

_In moments, mere moments_  
 _Drums will roll_ __  


He smiled at me, gesturing with his hand.

**There you'll stand**  
 **Just like before** ****  


_The crowd will hush_  
 _And in one sweet rush_ __  


**I will hear you sing once more**

He reached into his jacket, pulling out a gorgeous necklace that matched the dress perfectly. It was encrusted with sapphires and black stones and it was in a choker style. He smiled and led me back to the vanity as we sang.

__**And music, our music  
** __**Will swell and then unwind  
** __**Like two strands of melody  
** __**At last, entwined  
** __**Fulfill us, complete us  
** __**Make us whole  
** _**Seal our bond forevermore** _ __**  
**

He took the ring that he had given to me ten years before, slipping it back onto my left ring finger, singing to me as he held my hand.

**Tonight, for me**  
 **Embrace your destiny**  
 **Let me hear you sing**  
 **Once more…** ****  


Suddenly, just as quickly as he came, he disappeared. I fell out of his trance, breathing softly. There was a soft knock at the door, followed by the stage manager's voice. "Miss Day, five minutes." I looked down at my hands, folding them in my lap as I bowed my head.

_Twisted every way_  
 _What answer can I give?_ __  


I pressed my fingertips to my lips, feeling the lingering thought of Drake's kiss. My hand traveled downward to the necklace, followed by my eyes, staring at my ring.

_I know I can't refuse_  
 _And yet, I wish I could_  
 _Oh God…_ __  


I let out a soft sob, completely torn about what I should do. Then, from the shadows, came their voices.

*Sophie, Sophie  
Don't think that I don't care…*

**But every hope, and every prayer**  
 **Rests on you now…** ****  


I took a deep breath, touched up my make-up and pulled on my gloves, leaving the dressing room. I could hear the soft whispers of the stage hands communicating through head pieces that I was coming to the stage. I stood at the center in front of the peacock backdrop once I arrived, placing my hands at my sides. I could see through the curtain that the lights were beginning to dim, and the audience grew quiet.

The curtain began to open.


	38. The Performance

**Sophia's POV  
** The curtains were drawn back, and the whole stage was darned in blue lighting with the exception of the spotlight that was fixated on me. The music was playing, luscious string melody filling the amphitheater and my ears. I looked to my right, seeing Erik in the wings, and standing behind him was Isabella. I was surprised to see her watching me, after everything that had happened. To my left was Drake, standing there nervously as he waited, watching me intently. I could tell that he longed to reach for me, to pull me off of the stage and take me away. I didn't have time to look for Christine; I assumed that she was still wandering around backstage. I took my attention and focus back to the audience as the intro began to wrap up. I opened my mouth to sing…but nothing came out. At first, I thought my voice cracked. Then I thought that I had forgotten the words. What was happening to me? I have never gotten nervous before, or stage-fright for that matter. I was failing. I had to run.

Then, a voice came through my mind. A gentle voice that was soothing and angelic. A voice that sounded similar to mine.  _Sophia, let me take over. You have nothing to fear. Just stay where you are._

I took another breath as I felt a comforting wave wash over me, followed by another wave of nervousness and confidence. I breathed. Then I began to sing.

**Erik's POV  
** I watched her as she struggled with herself, contemplating on whether or not to sing. I could tell that she wanted to bolt. I wanted to go out there and take her off of the stage, and tell her that everything was going to be okay. Suddenly, she began to sing.

_Who knows when love begins?_  
 _Who knows what makes it start?_  
 _One day, it's simply there_  
 _Alive inside your heart_

_It slips into your thoughts_  
 _It infiltrates your soul_  
 _It takes you by surprise_  
 _Then seizes full control_

_Try to deny it_  
 _And try to protest_  
 _But love won't let you go_  
 _Once you've been possessed…_

I couldn't believe it. It was like someone had taken her over, given her the confidence to sing. I smiled as I listened to her sing, thinking that the great Christine Daae would be proud. She turned, looking at Drake for a moment, then back at the audience before she began to sing again.

_Love never dies_  
 _Love never falters_  
 _Once it has spoken_  
 _Love is yours_

_Love never dies_  
 _Love never alters_  
 _Hearts may get broken_  
 _Love endures_  

_Hearts may get broken_  
 _Love endures…_

I glanced out at the audience. They were completely enthralled with her, as was I. I felt Isabella's hand on my shoulder, leaning up to whisper in my ear. "She really is quite beautiful. I hope that the three of you will be very happy together." I heard her footsteps retreating backstage, but my focus was on Sophia. My Sophia and her song.

_As soon as you submit_  
 _Surrender flesh and bone_  
 _That love takes on a life_  
 _Much bigger than your own_

_It uses you at will_  
 _And drives you to despair_  
 _And forces you to feel_  
 _More joy than you can bear_

_Love gives you pleasure_  
 _And love brings you pain_  
 _And yet, when both are gone_  
 _Love will still remain…_

She looked at me while the music played. She breathed softly, and then she smiled at me. She had chosen me. I watched her as she turned to Drake, shaking her head as she sang the next line.

_Once it has spoken_  
 _Love is yours_

_Love never dies_  
 _Love never alters_  
 _Hearts may get broken_  
 _Love endures_  

_Hearts may get broken…_

Drake hung his head, falling back into the shadows and retreating from sight. The music swelled and Sophie stepped forward, her voice filled with such power and emotion. The Sophia that I knew so long ago had returned. She had finally let go of whatever hold he had left on her. And she was mine.

_Love never dies_  
 _Love will continue_  
 _Love keeps on beating_  
 _When you're gone_

_Love never dies_  
 _Once it is in you_  
 _Love may be fleeting_  
 _Love lives on_

_Love may be fleeting_  
 _Love lives on_

She and the orchestra held their final note until they were cut off by the conductor. As soon as the music ceased, cheers and applause filled the theater. She walked to each side of the stage, taking her bows. She came to the center and bowed once more, just as the curtain closed. I ran out to the stage, and she ran to me, leaping into my arms. I spun her around the stage, kissing her as my hand entangled itself in her hair. I carried her back to her dressing room, opening the door and setting her down. "You did wonderful tonight," I told her before kissing her again. "Now, you go and get ready for the Monster's Ball. I'll wait right out here."

**Sophia's POV  
** I smiled happily as I turned about the room, heading to the bathroom and quickly changing into the red gown for the monster's ball. When I came back out, I exchanged the sapphires for the rubies at the vanity, touching up my make-up. I looked down on the vanity, seeing an envelope addressed to me. I sat down, opening the envelope and pulled out a letter from Drake. As I read it, I heard the door open and Erik's footsteps behind me.

" _My Dearest Sophie,_

_Little darling, I beg you to forgive me. What fools we once were, long ago in our youth in Paris, high school…everything. Now, I must go; our choices are made. The opera is done, and the last notes have been played. May your Angel of Music watch over you now, and may he give you what I wish I gave you somehow._

_Yours in Regret,_

_Drake_ "

I felt Erik's hands on my shoulders, and his lips kissing the top of my head. I folded the letter, setting it on the vanity. Suddenly, I froze. My whole body went ridged, and breathed in a panic. Erik sensed the change, backing away from me.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Christine. She was backstage. I didn't see her with you. She was meant to find you."


	39. After The Performance

**Erik's POV  
** "Christine. She was backstage. I didn't see her with you. She was meant to find you." ****  


As soon as Sophie uttered these words, we took off backstage, calling for her. I had the trio searching for her, as well as the stage hands. I soon called for Gangle, demanding that he call in every favor that I was owed from everyone to seal off the ports, the roads, and delay all flights out of the country and state. "I'm going to tear that little piss-ant limb from limb when I find him," I screamed in anger, throwing a chair against the wall. "Drake is going to pay for taking her."

"But sir," Gangle said breathlessly, stopping after he hung up with the airports. "Drake left by himself. I saw him with my own eyes. There was no one with him; I'm certain of it."

"Was there anyone else here backstage?"

"There was Isabella," Sophie said, stopping to slip the band for the train around her wrist. "She was standing behind you."

I nodded to Gangle. "Bring her to me. Now!" Gangle quickly retreated, returning soon after with Squelch, the both of him gripping Isabella by her arms.

"What is the matter with you," she demanded when they finally stopped, pulling herself away from them. "What is going on? I want an answer, and I want one now!"

I couldn't help myself. I gripped her by the arms, shaking her. "What have you done with our daughter? Where have you taken Christine?"

"Christine? You think I took Christine? Why would I do such a thing?"

"Because you're a maniacal bitch, and you love to cause and create chaos, just as you always have," I screamed, pushing her into Gangle and Squelch. She quickly regained herself as I seethed, screaming Christine's name.

"You don't think I knew who she was? Even though she wasn't my real granddaughter, I still loved her like she was mine. I love that little girl. I would never take her away from you two. Please believe me! Do you really think that I would want to see that child brought to harm?!"

The two grabbed her by the arms again as I went to Sophie, holding her in my arms. I tried to comfort her, telling her that we would find her, whatever it took. Out of a corridor came Fleck, breathless as she strained to get my attention. "Sir…I just passed Emma's dressing room. It was empty as a tomb, and her mirror was smashed all in pieces on the floor."

**Sophia's POV  
** As soon as Fleck uttered these words, my whole body went ridged. I pulled away from Erik, my mind straining against the fear that Emma had done or was going to do something drastic. Gangle and Squelch released Isabella as Erik and I looked at each other, then the four of us looked at Fleck, dreading the worst. "And I saw her down the hall," she continued after she finally caught her breath, straightening up. "She was pulling someone pale and small, and then she looked all about and scurried out the door." ****  


Erik looked at me, then to the others. "We have to do this carefully. I know where she has gone…"

While Erik and the others were beginning to work out a game plan, the voice that I had heard before came through my mind.  _Go to the piers. Go now, before you're too late._  I bolted, holding the skirt of my gown as I ran. I heard Erik screaming for me to come back, but I didn't listen. I pushed open the stage doors, running down the boardwalk. The Monster's Ball was in full swing; the park was jammed packed with people all darned in masks and costumes. I pushed through the see of people, not caring if they thought I was being rude or just outright mean. I finally made it to the edge of the park, away from the people and the noises of the park. The only sounds I heard were the crashing waves on the sand. And Christine's voice below the pier. "I don't want to swim now. I want my Papa!" I ran down the stairs to the sand, seeing her gripping one of the poles as Emma had hold of her waist, trying to pry her off of it.

"Don't worry, darling. It will all be over soon."

_Sink into the deep_  
 _Blue and cool and kind_  
 _Then drift off to sleep_  
 _Let the past unwind_  
 _Leave the hurt behind…_ __  


"Emma, let her go," I screamed as I ran to them, going to Emma and shoving her out of the way. I grabbed Christine, wrapping my arms around her as I carried her away from the water. I froze when I heard the gun being cocked. I placed Christine on the ground, shielding her from Emma as I looked, seeing her pointing the gun at us as she stood on the edge of the sand, the waves crashing over her bare feet. "Emma," I said calmly, making sure that Christine was behind me. "Put the gun down." When she didn't move, I turned slightly so she was still in my peripheral vision, just in case she was going to shoot me. However, something inside of me told me that she wouldn't shoot me. Not until Christine was out of sight. "Christine," I said to her, turning her to look at me. "I want to go and find your father. He'll be here soon. Go find him, then I want you to stay with the trio. Do you understand me?" When she nodded, I pushed her off and she took off running, disappearing into the darkness. I turned my attention back to Emma, who was still pointing the gun at me. "Emma, I need you to talk to me, okay? You know that you don't want to do this." I slowly approached her when she didn't reply. "Emma, what happened to you?"

"That's close enough," she shouted, pointing the gun at me. I put my hands up, indicating that I meant no harm. "You…you had everything so easy. You got everything you wanted, any man that you wanted, and you could even have your own daughter back after you gave her up ten years ago."

"Emma, you had such an easier life than I did. You could have had anything that you wanted. I had to work for what I have now."

"You have no idea what I had to do for what I have! Nobody expected anything of you, or held you in high regard because of your social status! You just had to work for what you have!"

"Exactly, I had to work while everything was handed to you on a silver platter. Your life was so much better than mine."

"Is that really what you think," she asked me, lowering the gun for a moment. "For ten years, I've been married to a man who I loved, admired, and respected. While he loved me, or at least I think he loved me, his heart already belonged to you. It has always belonged to you. Then he brought me this idea of this theme park. I have no idea what sparked this inspiration for this place, but I knew that it wouldn't get off of the ground alone. Not only that, but there was no way that the permits would go through. Not for what he wanted out of this place. So…I did what I had to do to help my husband. I was in their laps, their arms, and in their beds every night and sometimes every day in order to get his place up and running. And when the bills came due, I was the one who had to pay. Even when there wasn't anything that needed to be fixed or pushed through, the things that they made me do…" Her voice broke as she struggled to speak, but she regained herself. "This place wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for me. And he didn't give me anything. He didn't offer me any affection or protection from this. I kept singing and dancing, desperate for him to notice me, to fall in love with me, to save me!" She put the gun to her chest, her fingers resting on the trigger. "This will be the big finish, and then you can go."

"Emma, stop," I nearly screamed, holding my hand up as I approached her. "Listen to me, please. I'm begging you. I was once where you are now. I was in a hole so deep that I didn't think that I could dig myself out of it." She looked at me, pressing the gun harder into her chest, and I continued. "When I was seventeen years old, I was molested and raped by an authority figure that I should have trusted and respected. At the time, I only had support from the one person who cared about me at the time and that was Erik. I had no one; my parents, my fellow classmates, and even Drake didn't believe me when I told them about the rape. Erik and I…we loved each other then, and at one time it was a different love than the love that we share now. He guided me and he helped me, but it wasn't until I got counseling and began working through my problems that I began to crawl out of the hole and feel better about myself." I heard the footsteps above me, as well as Erik's strained voice screaming our names. I noticed that there were more than just his and Isabella's footsteps, as well police chatter over radios. I prayed that Christine was being kept safe by the trio. "We're down here," I yelled up to them. "We're okay!" I turned my attention back to Emma, seeing that she had dropped the gun down to her side, reaching my hand out to her. "Give me the gun, Emma. We'll get you help, and we'll protect you from this. I swear to you. Please, Emma. It doesn't have to end like this." She raised the gun slightly, giving me the impression that she was going to give me the gun. I heard the footsteps of Erik, Isabella and the others running down the stairs, only to fall silent in the sand. Emma's sight shifted, her eyes fixated on Erik. Suddenly, I feared the worst.

The last thing she said was, "Sophie…Sophie…it's always Sophie!"

"No, Emma, don't!" Isabella screamed.

"Emma!" Erik's voice echoed.

Then there were two gunshots.

I watched as my best friend pushed the gun to her chest and fired, collapsing to the water soon after. Her eyes were dead before she hit the water, her blood seeping out of her chest. I didn't even seem to notice the searing pain in my side until I tried to breathe. Erik came running over me as Isabella's anguished cries echoed throughout the now silent park. I turned around, walking to Erik and collapsing in his arms. "Get the ambulance over here now," he screamed, laying me down and shedding his jacket, starting to apply pressure to the wound. "Don't worry," he whispered to me, brushing my hair back. "You're going to be okay. Just save your strength."

"It's okay," I told him, holding onto his shirt. "I'll be okay."

"Papa," Christine screamed as she broke away from the trio, running to us. The police tried to grab her, but I shook my head, taking her hand and kissing it. "Papa, where's Mom? Where's Mommy?" Erik hung his head, straining to hold back his tears.

"Christine, your mother…your real mother…is here," I whispered to her. Erik's eyes widened as the tears started to fall. "It's okay; she needs to know. This may be the last time I see her." She looked at me, puzzled as I kissed her hand again, holding it tightly as I sang to her.

_Look with your heart_  
 _And not with your eyes_  
 _The heart understands_  
 _The heart never lies…_ __  


Christine let out an earthshattering scream as she wrapped her arms around my legs, not wanting to let go, and not wanting me to leave her. I leaned my head back, gazing at the stars as the sirens of the ambulance drew closer. My breathing was becoming labored, and I could feel myself starting to drift away. This was it; the final curtain call. And somehow, in a way, I felt like I was ready.

_Once upon another time_  
 _Our story had only begun…_ __  


"Stop it," Erik told me sternly, turning my head to look at him as the tears continued to stream down his face. "You stop talking like that right this instant. You're going to be fine."

"Erik…It's going to be okay. I promise…"

"Sophia, you are not leaving me! Do you understand?!"

_Remember…_  
 _Love never dies…_ __  


"Kiss me one last time," I whispered as the paramedics were rushed in, pushing everyone away. There was just enough time for him to kiss me, and kiss me so passionately that it nearly drew the last breath from my body. The paramedics pulled him away, but he continued to hold my hand, whispering into my ear as everything faded to black.

"Sophia…stay with me…stay with me…"


	40. The Final Dream

I was back on stage, singing the song. I was in the blue dress with every accessory that I had on, and my hair was styled the same way. Raoul was at my right, and Erik was at my left. Both were watching me with such intent and longing, and both of them were silently praying that I would choose them. As I reached the end of the song, I realized that I wasn't in my own body, but I was there. I wasn't Christine this time; I was watching the events unfold right in front of my eyes. I was just a pale figure that was invisible to everyone, and I had a bird's eye view of what was going on. This is where I got scared. Why was I seeing this, and why was my body that of a ghost or an angel? Oh, God…please don't let me be dead. I watched as Raoul faded into the darkness of the backstage corridors, and Christine finished the song and took her bows. The curtains closed and she returned backstage to her dressing room, where Erik greeted her.

**Ah, Christine**  
 **My Christine**  
 **What a triumph you gave me tonight**  
 **My Christine**  
 **All the dark silent years now set by**  
 **Ah, Christine…** ****  


She went into his arms, holding his hands and kissing them.

_The song was beautiful_  
 _It sounded beautiful_  
 _Every note, every word_  
 _And it was beautiful_  
 _And I felt beautiful_ __  


__**Lost in the music once more  
** __**Feeling it rise up and soar  
** _**Alive once again** _ __**  
**

Erik pulled her to him and kissed her. The kiss was full of love and passion, and I realized that this was their last night together. Christine died shortly after she came to New York. She was my great-great-great grandmother. And she…she died here. She pulled away, finding a note from Raoul on the desk. She picked up and read it.

_My Dearest Wife,_  
 _Little Lotte, I beg you, forgive me. Little Lotte, oh what fools we once were, long ago in our youth in Paris at the Opera. Romantic idiots…those two people are gone now. Now, I must go; our choices are made. The opera is done; the last notes have been played. May your Angel of Music watch over you now, and give you what I wish I gave you somehow._  
 _Yours in Regret,_  
 _Raoul_ __  


She folded the note, then looked around the dressing room. "Gustave…Gustave!"

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"I told him to wait backstage. I told him to wait for his father."

They both ran out of the dressing room and everything was the same after that. The same conversation with Madame Giry, the commands for Gangle to seal the ports and blockade the roads, and even Fleck coming in and telling them about Meg; everything occurred just as it had done in my life just moments ago.

_I just passed Meg's dressing room_  
 _It was empty as a tomb_  
 _And her mirror was smashed_  
 _All in pieces on the floor_ __  


_And I saw her down the hall_  
 _Pulling someone pale and small_  
 _And she looked all about_  
 _And then scurried out the door…_ __  


Madame Giry looked positively horrified. Her face was written in the horror of what Meg may have done. Or what she was about to do?

_God, I left her so distraught_  
 _Please, who knows just what she thought_  
 _I'm afraid she's come undone_  
 _But she won't hurt him_  
 _Meg would never hurt him_  
 _How could she hurt him?_ __  


"I know where they've gone, but we have to hurry," Erik commanded, and they took off to the piers. The crowd at Phantasma was vast, and they had push through everyone to get there, including the workers of the park. They finally made it to the piers on the edge of the park, and there was Meg, pulling Gustave to the edge of the piers. You could hardly see her beneath the street lamps. She kept looking behind, checking to see if the others were following her. "Please, Miss Giry," Gustave begged, trying to pull away from her. "I want to go back. I want my mother."

_The sea is calm_  
 _The sea is gray_  
 _It washes everything away_ __  


"Please, you're hurting me! I can't swim!"

"Oh, don't worry. It will all be over soon."

_Sink into the deep_  
 _Blue and cool and kind_  
 _Then drift off to sleep_  
 _Let the past unwind_  
 _Leave the hurt behind…_ __  


"Gustave!" Christine screamed as she, Erik, and Madame Giry made it to the pier. Meg moved herself between them and Gustave. She held onto Gustave's shirt as she leaned over the edge of the pier, and Gustave took hold of one of the lamp posts. Erik moved to the front of the group, moving Christine and Madame Giry behind him.

"Let go of the boy now," he demanded, holding his hand out to him.

"Not another step! Not another word!"

_Always wondered how to make you watch_  
 _Well, watch me now!_ __  


_I took a little trip to Coney Island_  
 _I took a little trip because of you_  
 _I did as mother said_  
 _And followed where you led_  
 _And tried to do what little I could do_ __  


_But here's the way it works on Coney Island_  
 _They make you pay for every little crumb_  
 _I gave what they would take_  
 _I gave it for your sake_  
 _Now, look at me_  
 _And see what I've become…_ __  


_Bathing beauty on the beach_  
 _Bathing beauty in her dressing room_  
 _Bathing beauty in the dark_  
 _On their laps, in their arms_  
 _In their beds…_ __  


"Oh, Meg, my little Meg," Madame Giry wept, putting her hand over mouth.

"What are you saying," Erik asked her, approaching her slowly.

_Who helped you raise the money?_  
 _Who helped the permits come through?_  
 _Who greased the wheels of your high flying deals_  
 _And bought you time when the bills came due?_ __  


_Who swayed the local bosses?_  
 _Carried favor with the press?_  
 _No, not her…_ __  


_And who kept singing_  
 _Desperate for your favor_  
 _Who kept dancing_  
 _Hoping you would save her_ __  


_Who kept dying_  
 _And this is all you gave her_ __  


She pulled Gustave back to her, wrapping her arms around him so he wouldn't fall. She turned an allowed him to go Christine, who she wrapped her arms around and held him tightly. She pulled a revolver from her dress, putting it to her head.

_Now that I've got your attention at last_  
 _Here's the big finish and then you can go!_ __  


"No, Meg, don't!" Madame Giry screamed, running to her, but Erik blocked her path, reaching for Meg with his other hand.

**Give me the gun, Meg**  
 **Give me the hurt and the pain and the gun, Meg**  
 **Give me the blame for not seeing the things that you've done, Meg**  
 **Give me the gun, Meg** ****  


**Give me the chance to see you clear at last…**

_See me clear at last…_

**You feel ugly, you feel used**  
 **You feel broken, you feel bruised**  
 **Ah, but me, I can see**  
 **All the beauty underneath** ****  


"Yes…"

**You've been robbed of love and pride**  
 **Been ignored and pushed aside**  
 **Even so, I still know**  
 **There is beauty underneath** ****  


"Yes…"

**Diamonds never sparkle bright**  
 **If they are not set just right**  
 **Beauty sometimes goes unseen**  
 **We can't all be like Christine…** ****  


He was face to face with her now as she sobbed, "Christine, Christine…always Christine!" He grabbed her wrist and as Meg pulled back and Christine shielded Gustave, the gun went off. Christine looked down, her blue gown now turning red as she collapsed to the pier. Screams of horror erupted from the others as Erik demanded that Madame Giry to get help. She and Meg disappeared, even though Meg wanted to try and help. Gustave held onto his mother's hand, asking where his father was. Erik begged her not to tell him, but she told him that Gustave had to know because Erik was all he had left now. "Gustave…your father, your real father…he's here." Erik turned to Gustave as Gustave denied it until Christine sang to him. He screamed "No!" and ran off towards the park in search of Raoul. Erik held Christine to him, trying to find some way to help her, but he knew that she couldn't be saved. By the time the help would reach them, she would be gone from this world. He brushed her hair back, singing to her.

**Once upon another time**  
 **Our story had only begun**  
 **I felt a taste of joy**  
 **The most I ever knew** ****  


**Now there isn't any time**  
 **And somehow our story is done**  
 **And what about the boy?**  
 **What am I to do?** ****  


She gripped onto his arms, struggling to breathe now, but she managed to sing back to him.

_Just love_  
 _Just live_  
 _Just give what you can give_  
 _And take the love that you deserve_ __  


__**Just love  
** _**Just live** _ __**  
**

**I'll give all that I have**  
 **And take what little I deserve** ****  


Christine shivered in his arms. She was becoming weaker with every passing moment. She sang softly now, holding onto Erik with every bit of strength that she had left while he cried.

_Come closer, I beg you_  
 _Closer still_  
 _Remember…love never dies_  
 _Kiss me one last time…_ __  


Erik held her to him and he gave her their final kiss. She moved her hand to his mask as she held for as long as she could. I watched as her final breath left her body and her hands dropped to their sides. I couldn't help but weep. Erik released an anguished cry as he held her, cradling her until Gustave returned with Raoul. How he found him I'll never know. Gustave approached first, laying his head in his mother's lap and crying quietly. Erik looked down, placing his hand on Gustave's head, softly stroking his hair as they both grieved. He then looked up at Raoul, who slowly walked to the three and knelt down, weeping over the loss of his first love. Erik handed her to Raoul as Gustave cradled his mother's legs while Erik walked up the pier, sobbing nearly uncontrollably. I watched as he leaned over, contemplating suicide, but he knelt to the pier, holding onto the railing with one hand as he covered his face with the other. It wasn't until Gustave slowly came up behind him, putting his hand on his back, attempting to console him. Erik slowly raised his head, turning to look at the boy, softly singing.

**Love never dies**  
 **Love never falters**  
 **Once it has spoken**  
 **Love is yours** ****  


**Love never dies**  
 **Love will continue…** ****  


Gustave listened to the words, and wrapped his arms around Erik. He let out a joyous sob, cradling his son in his arms. Raoul continued to hold onto Christine during this time, trying to come to grips with the reality that she was no longer in his life and this world. Gustave slowly pulled away from Erik, reaching up and taking off the mask, gazing at his face for the first time since he saw it during the first reveal. He placed his hand on his face, gently caressing it. Erik gave a weak smile, closing his eyes. He was so happy that someone had finally accepted him for who he was.

I felt myself being pulled from that world. Everything started to fade to black again just has it had done before. I began to pray that I wasn't dead or dying, wanting another chance at life. I didn't want a short end like Christine's.

Please don't everything end like this.


	41. Love Endures

When I opened my eyes after praying, I found myself in a seemingly different world. I was no longer a ghostly figure, but I could tell that I was on another plane. Not only that, but I was back in the Paris Opera House. It was the real one, and not the replica that Erik had built on Coney Island. I soon found myself walking up the grand staircase, listening to the distant sounds of the past as they emerged from the walls. I saw the figures of dancers and musicians in masks, playing the glorious music from the masquerade ball. They danced and sang to their hearts' content, never having a care in the world.

_Masquerade_  
 _Paper faces on parade_  
 _Masquerade_  
 _Hide your face so the world will never find you…_ __  


The sounds faded and were soon replaced by the sounds of the auditorium. There was applause, swelling music, and an all too familiar voice ringing in my ears. She was so young then, and I looked up to the stage, expecting to see her. However, she wasn't there. I looked above me and saw the chandelier, glowing in its beautiful light and displayed proudly for all to see. I walked to the stage and stood there for a few moments, just taking it all in. The view from the stage was amazing. I could only imagine how Christine felt for the first time when she sang in Hannibal. Then the lights dimmed and I turned around. Behind me there were figures of men and women, one of them being Raoul in a wheelchair, Madame Giry, and others along with an auctioneer. An assistant to the auctioneer moved away from the podium, carrying a display of a wooden pistol and three human skulls that were used as props in a previous opera. He asked the buyer for his number and thanked him before continuing the auction. Another assistant came forward, carrying the same music box that I had seen years before.

" _Lot 665, ladies and gentlemen, a papier-mâché musical box in the shape of a barrel organ. Attached, the figure of a monkey in Persian robes playing the symbols. This item was discovered in the vaults of the theater, and still in working order, ladies and gentlemen."_

" _Showing here,"_  the assistant stated, winding the box. After winding it, it played the soft melody of Masquerade.

The vaults of the theater…I began to wonder how extensive this plane was. I wandered backstage and found Christine's dressing room. It was small, but in a way, perfect. The full mirror was still there, along with the vanity and a small closet where she kept her clothes. I walked over to the mirror and slid it open slowly, seeing the path that led down to the catacombs, fully lit with candles and lanterns. I walked slowly and cautiously, unsure of what could come out of where. I used the wall as a guide as I traveled deeper and deeper below the opera house, wondering where the path ended. I came to a stop when I arrived at the lake, seeing the gondola floating in the water. I began to wonder how I was going to get across when a voice spoke up behind me.

"We've been waiting for you," the voice said softly. I whipped around so fast that I lost my balance, nearly falling into the lake. I felt a strong hand grip my arm, pulling me back to him. When I landed against his chest, I noticed that he was as real as I was. I looked up, seeing him fully for the first time. He smiled down at me, slowly letting me go so I could look him over. He was young again, about the same age as he was when I just saw him in my dream. His mask was made of porcelain and was silver, glistening in the candlelight. Before I could stop myself, I just wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. He only chuckled, pulling back so he could kiss my forehead. "You really are a sweet girl," he told me as he helped me into the boat. "My great-great-great grandson is really happy."

"You have no idea how long I have waited to meet you," I said after he got into the boat, rowing to his lair slowly. "I know that I just saw you in the dream I just had, but to actually meet you…" I thought for a moment, turning to look up at him. "Where am I? Am I dead?"

"Oh, heaven's no," he replied as he shook his head. "You could consider this as a kind of limbo for you, but in all actuality, this is our heaven."

"Our?"

"Mine and Christine's. We reunited after I passed away. We are now together, even though it is in death."

"So…you met someone else after Christine died?"

"I did. There were choices that I made so I could have a family. Even though Gustave was my son, I had another son when I got married for the only time. Gustave's family never knew of me after he became an adult, even though Raoul and I worked together to raise him after Christine died." The boat came to a stop when we reached the opposite side of the lake and his lair. He hopped out of the boat, and then helped me out, walking with me through the lair. Christine soon appeared from a hidden corridor, smiling as she saw me. She hugged me after I broke away from Erik, smiling at me. However, I was still confused. How was I in this limbo that was their heaven?

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions," Christine said as she walked with us through the lair, stopping so we could sit down at a small parlor table. "So you might as well get started."

"What's going to happen to me? Am I going to die?"

She shook her head. "You're at what you could consider a crossroads as to what you can do. The choice is going to be yours when the time comes."

"So…what has happened since I blacked out? Do you two know?"

"Right now, you're in a medically induced coma at Mercy General Hospital in New York. Emma has been laid to rest, Erik and Drake haven't left your side, and Christine has been staying with your parents."

"My parents? Are you sure?"

Christine nodded. "Erik called them and told them what happened. They came to New York almost immediately. He also told him about Christine being your daughter and how you two were going to be together whether they liked it or not. They have accepted this and they've been getting to know their granddaughter."

"I'm sure that the press is having a field day with this."

"Erik used his connections to the media to try and give updates on your condition, but he hasn't released any vital information. The main story has been that Emma was suffering from depression because of the impending divorce and while you were trying to help her, she snapped under the pressure and killed herself. As for her shooting you, Erik didn't want her to be held responsible so he has said that the weapon misfired just moments before she turned the gun on herself."

I turned to Erik. "This next question probably doesn't need to be asked, but I want to be sure. Erik and I aren't related, are we?"

He shook his head. "No, of course not. Even though my children and Gustave were half siblings, the bloodlines became diluted over the years. There is no relation, so you don't have to worry about anyone thinking its taboo. I'm sure that more people are going to be more concerned with the age difference than anything else."

I looked at both of them, then down at my hands before I asked the next question. "You said that I would have to make a choice when the time comes. What are the choices that I have?"

Christine stood up, and Erik did as well, joining hands as they stood in front of me. "You have a choice between going back and being with your family, continuing your career and living your life as you want to live it or you can stay here with us. You would never be able to have a family or any more children, and you wouldn't be able to see Erik again. However, the choice is yours. We cannot make this choice for you."

I sat there, contemplating my choice. All I ever wanted in my life was someone who loved me and wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, a family that I could come home to every night after being on stage, and a home to raise our children in. I looked down at my hands, wondering if I could even bear to leave Christine and Erik alone until they passed away. There was no way I could do that. I stood up, looking at the two and taking their free hands, holding them gently. "I want another chance at my life. I want to be with Erik and raise our daughter together. I want to have a family of my own. I know that I wouldn't be able to do that if I chose to rest peacefully and return to heaven with you two. I know that in my heart you two will be there to guide me and Erik through our times together, and I don't want to lose the time that we could have together. I want my life."

Christine nodded, taking my hand and leading me to the bed. "This will be simple. You'll lie down and we'll make sure that you're comfortable. You'll start to feel sleepy as you start to feel the pull back to your world. You will fall asleep before the transition and when you wake up, you'll be back in your own body. Remember to be gracious and patient during the time of grieving, and love and live your life as you want to live it." I laid down on the bed and immediately began to feel sleepy. "We love you both, and we wish you luck." They both kissed me on the forehead as I began to feel the pull, falling asleep almost immediately.

The first thing I heard was the faint and steady beeping of a heart monitor. Then I heard the sounds of someone who was snoring lightly and a television that was being kept at a low volume. I slowly opened my eyes, noticing that the room was dark. I tried to swallow, but found it impossible. I had a tube down my throat to help me breathe. How was it going to be possible for me to let them know that I was going to okay? I started to panic slightly, and it began showing up on the heart monitor as my heart rate increased. The increased beeping alerted the sleeping person who woke up, coming over to me. It was Drake, brushing my hair back. "Oh, my God," he said softly, running to the door and flinging it open. "Hey! Hey, I need a doctor in here! She's awake! She's awake!" Three people rushed in along with Drake; a doctor, a nurse, and Erik. They stood over me, checking my vitals and making sure that I was fully awake before removing the breathing tube. I coughed and gagged as the obstruction was removed, Drake taking a chance to hug me first, holding onto me so tightly that I couldn't breathe. "Oh, Sophie, I thought I lost you. I am so sorry for trying to take you away from what you wanted to do. It was all Emma's idea; she tried to get me to take you away so she could be back on top again and try and get back with Erik."

"Drake, it's okay," I said hoarsely, pushing away from him. Erik greeted me with a glass of water, having me take a drink before I tried to speak again. "I'm just happy to be here and to be alive."

"I just want you to know that I'm never going treat you like I did before ever again. I've been sober for a month, but I'll understand if you don't want me to be your manager."

"Drake, you'll always be my friend, but I can't take you back as my manager. I'm sorry, but I just can't."

He nodded, kissing my forehead. "I'll go call your parents." He departed from the room, leaving Erik and I alone. We just stared at each other for a moment, neither of us really sure of what to say. He sat down on the bed, taking me in his arms and hugging me, stroking my hair. We were quiet for what seemed like forever, and he just held me. Then, I felt something warm on my shoulder, and a soft sobbing. I pulled him down to me, and we laid in the bed together. I held him as he cried, kissing his cheek while I held him. I guess this was the first time he was able to let out any emotion at all since everything had happened. Once the tears slowed, he pulled away from me, kissing my forehead.

"I was afraid that I lost you," he whispered, holding me to him. "Where did you go?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," I replied, closing my eyes. "I'm so sorry that all of this happened. You had to bury Emma, and I'm sure that Isabella hates us."

"Not at all. She's doing…surprising well, even though she is numb. I think she knew that it was coming."

"What do you mean?"

"Emma has been sick for a while, Sophie. Besides her being mentally ill, she wasn't being medicated and her jealousy for you just became too much for her. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if you didn't run off from us when you did."

"I don't want to dwell on it. I'm sorry that it happened, but I tried to save her and I couldn't."

"You can't save everyone, Sophia. You of all people should know that."

I nodded. "Did you know Christine died here?"

He looked down at me, lifting an eyebrow. "She did?"

I nodded. I told him about the dream first, and then told him about the limbo I was in. I described the sounds I heard through the walls, the youth of Erik and Christine and the choice I made. "I couldn't bear the thought of leaving you and Christine behind. I wanted my life. I wanted my family. I wanted my career. Erik, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He smiled, leaning down and kissing me. "Take your time planning our wedding. I'm pretty sure that we can consider ourselves engaged now, since I did pretty much propose to you a few nights ago. I told you to embrace your destiny, and you did. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

I kissed him, and I held it. This was it; my future was already being laid in place. We were going to be married, and we had a beautiful daughter together. I wanted more children, a house, and a career on Broadway. I knew that I had made the right choice, and we were going to be together for the rest of our lives.


	42. Epilogue

**Epilogue**  
 **August 25** **th**  
 **Two years later** ****  


**Erik's POV  
** After two years of planning, grieving, and forgiving everyone in our lives, I stood at the front of the altar in the church, surrounded by our family and friends in New York, waiting for the love of my life to walk in and down the aisle. Chrissy, her matron of honor, smiled at me as if she knew of something that I didn't know. I just knew that I had to keep my eyes forward until Chrissy nodded at me to turn around. It was hard to believe that this day was here. It seemed like yesterday that I brought her back to her hotel room from the hospital and nursed her back to health, even though she was strong willed enough that she would have been fine on her own. ****  


We spent the holidays with Isabella so she wouldn't be alone. We were all still grieving over the loss of Emma, especially Sophia. She continued to feel guilty that she couldn't save her friend, and I felt guilty because I couldn't help but feel like I had caused her suicide. Isabella later revealed that Emma suffered from Bipolar Disorder and manic depression due to the stress of never being able to perform to anyone's standards, which was why she was constantly looking for approval. Isabella also told me that she tried to get help for her many times, but Emma always refused and never believed that anything was wrong with her. I still couldn't help but feel guilty, but I knew that it would have to be something that I would work through along with Sophia. We worked through our guilt together, went through the stages of grieving together, and now we were living together and getting ready to say our vows to become Mr. and Mrs. Destler.

During the two years, Christine took her time planning the wedding of her dreams. She made it a Paris and masquerade themed wedding with the colors of red and black. Her bridesmaids were dressed in black gowns and their bouquets were a mix of red and white roses. My groomsmen and I were dressed in black tuxedoes with red ties and vests, and white rose boutonnieres. As for Sophia's dress, I had no idea what it looked like. I suppose that it was meant to be a surprise. Drake was my best man. It's shocking, I know, but since he was in rehab and had become completely sober, he discovered that he had a talent for writing as well as producing music. We began collaborating on a musical together, based on the life of Christine Daae and the loves of her life. We had a successful two years of planning it, and we casted a wonderful group of people, including Sophia as Christine Daae and her friend Hugh Panaro as the Phantom. After a few months of previews in the city, we had our first show a few months ago, and we were continuing to draw more and more audiences in. It was a complete success, and Sophia was going to continue her Broadway run for as long as she could.

When I looked over again, I saw that Christine was taking her place as her mother's maid of honor. I smiled at her, thinking about how much she had grown within the last two years. She and Sophie had become even closer than they were before everything that had happened, and Sophie really became a mother to her. She smiled back at me, her eyes facing the aisle as she waited for her mother. I noticed that the music changed and I heard the church doors open. Chrissy just grinned and nodded at me, signaling that I could turn around. When I saw her, the love of my life, I began to weep.

There she was, slowly walking down the aisle with her father arm in arm, smiling at me. She looked like a princess, dressed all in white with her long brown hair up in a Victorian style up-do. There were jeweled flowers placed delicately in her hair, two of them holding her long veil in place as it cascaded down her back, blending into her dress. Her dress was exquisite, a strapless gown with beautiful beading and sequins accenting the bodice as it flowed into a flowing bell skirt with a small train. She was carrying a beautiful bouquet of red roses and she couldn't stop smiling. Drake gave me a nudge as he handed me a handkerchief to wipe my eyes, grinning as he did so. I wiped my eyes, and as I did so, she had arrived at the altar and was ready to be given away by her father. After I handed the handkerchief back to Drake, I shook her father's hand and waited for her to kiss her father's cheek before taking her hand and leading her up to the altar. The ceremony was a beautiful one; we exchanged our vows, united the sands with her parents and Christine, and when we were announced as husband and wife, I couldn't wait for the priest to say that I could kiss the bride. Once he did, I placed my hand on her neck and pulled her to me, kissing her passionately and yet, tastefully as our friends and family cheered. I finally had the happy ending that I had always wanted; a wife, a daughter, and a career that I could do for the rest of my life.

**Sophia's POV  
** As we ate and celebrated our wedding at our reception, I looked out at all of my friends and family, wondering how we could have gotten so lucky. I gave Erik a kiss on the cheek as we ate and smiled at Christine as she looked at us. She was so happy that we were together, and I was so happy that I had her back in my life. My parents had been so accepting during the last two years, and we had grown closer than we ever were. They were happy to have a grandchild in their lives, and I was happy that Erik and I could give them that gift. We listened to the speeches made by Christine, Chrissy, and Drake; all of them expressing love along with humor. We cut the cake and enjoyed our dessert before our first dance together as husband and wife. He pulled me out onto the floor as they played one of the songs from the musical that he had written, our bodies moving together around the dance floor. ****  


"Do you realize how happy you've made me," he whispered as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"I'm sure I've made you as happy as I am right now," I replied. He spun me around, dancing with me still. "I have some news."

"Oh, and what news would you have, my dear," he asked as he dipped me. When he brought me back up, I beckoned him down so I could whisper to him.

"I was going to wait until we were home, but I can't." I leaned up really close to his ear, kissing it softly. "I'm pregnant. I'm only at six weeks, but I'm really sure. We're going to have a baby."

He couldn't contain his smile. I could feel it against my cheek. "I love you so much," he whispered, pulling away and kissing me passionately as our dance ended. Everyone cheered, and we danced the night away, excited for our future, and our happy endings.


End file.
